


Thoughts on Fate and Coincidence

by Sullen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Canon Compliant, Community: rs_games, F/M, Humor, M/M, R/S Games 2016, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8356114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sullen/pseuds/Sullen
Summary: R/S Games 2016 - Day 18 - Team PlaceIn which Sirius learns that a Horcrux is an inappropriate courting gift, despite there being no courting, but there is quite a bit of shouting.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Team:** Place  
>  **Title:** Thoughts on Fate and Coincidence  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Warnings:** None  
>  **Genres:** Adventure, Humor, Romance  
>  **Word Count:** 20,000  
>  **Summary:** In which Sirius learns that a Horcrux is an inappropriate courting gift, despite there being no courting, but there is quite a bit of shouting.  
>  **Notes:** Thanks to the mods for the leeway and for doing this every year, thereby ensuring that the R/S ship stays alive and I get my fix.  
>  **Prompt:** #41 - "Deja Vu is the mind's way of letting you know that you are in the right place at the right time." - Unknown

Sirius Black has never met a prank he does not like and McGonagall has never met a prankster she does. This is an Absolute Truth. Another Absolute Truth is that, if McGonagall catches Sirius in the act of flooding the dungeons with special attention paid to the Slytherin common room, she will rip out with her bare hands his still beating heart and _eat it_. 

“I need a place to hide,” Sirius muttered frantically. Her steps sounded furious, like the footsteps of his doom. 

Sirius turned around on his heel almost sliding and saw it-a door. Throwing himself at it, he stumbled blindly into the room, locking it behind him. He stopped in astonishment, he was inside a huge room, piled high with all sorts of stuff. Row and rows, stacks upon stacks. Considering his own circumstances, and the condition of the objects in the room, it was clearly some sort of place to hide things in. how many people must have stumbled onto this place, for so many things to accumulate? 

The jitters of almost being caught faded and exhilaration began to set in. Cheerfully whistling, Sirius strolled through the stacks of hidden artifacts, stashed there by generations of misbehaving students. He felt a deep kinship with them. 

McGonagall’s voice echoed angrily outside but that only made him more buoyant. He could hear poor Remus’ voice too. Must have tried to head her off Peter-serve the prat right, since becoming a prefect he’d become more stoddish, refusing to prank Snape, objecting on grounds of…well- Sirius had usually stopped listening by that point. 

This place was fantastic, Sirius decided. Hundreds of thousands of books were stacked haphazardly; Remus would have to be dragged out. A wall of potions bottles loomed to his left, begging to be knocked down as the light shimmered through the few empty bottles and was blocked by the filled ones. He let his feet wander as he kept one ear on Remus’ voice but none of the words carried. Lost in thought he nearly walked into an enormous stuffed troll. He backed away irritably and turned right. He could hardly hear them now. 

Remus needed some lightning up, Sirius decided. But what to do? He ran an idle eye on the stuff-a book would only encourage him-the Frisbees didn’t work-a red hat with enormous white feathers (promising) –a heart shaped necklace (undoubtedly cursed), a circlet (interesting) – rainbow colored potion (headache inducing); he finally grabbed the circlet on a whim and dashed back to the door. 

Taking the stairs two at a time and racing through the corridors, he gasped out the password under the Fat Lady’s disapproving stare and stumbled into the common room. 

Up the stairs to the sixth year boys dorm and bang it open triumphantly and bang it shut obnoxiously. Staggering in a victorious manner to disguise the stitch in his side, he collapsed on Remus’ four poster where Remus’ jaw was clenching in a most gratifying manner. 

“Where’d you hide out?” James asked, on the floor, legs spread out in front of him, leaning against his bed next to Remus’. “McGonagall was hot on your heels.” 

“Found a place,” Sirius shrugged. “She give anyone detention?” 

“No,” Remus said sharply. “But she’s furious. You better stay clear of her.” 

“Me? Why? Do I look like the sort of person that would flood the Slytherin common room with the Slytherin students own sewage?” Sirius asked with exaggerated injury. 

“Yes!” James and Peter chorused. 

“That’s nice!” Sirius exclaimed. “It was Wormtail’s idea! Especially the part with the sewage.” 

“Backwash,” Peter sniggered. 

“It was disgusting – what’s this?” Remus blinked at the circlet in his lap, where Sirius had dropped it. 

“For you,” Sirius said with a smirk and a flourish. “Happy Birthday!” 

“It’s not his birthday,” James said, as he went on his knees to examine the thing while Peter leaned precariously over from his bed to do the same. 

“It’s a circlet, to crown you- I don’t know- Prince of Damp Squibs!” 

Remus’ teeth were grinding now, Sirius noted in satisfaction. 

“It’s a diadem, and it’s for a _woman_.” 

“Are you so insecure in your masculinity?” Sirius said, knowing what he said didn’t sound precisely right. 

“That’s you though, isn’t it?” Remus said quietly under the sound of Peter and James laughing. 

Sirius frowned as Remus, on the way to the bathroom to brush his teeth for bed, placed the diadem gently on Sirius’ trunk. 

***

“Hope,” Sirius cheered and hurried forward towards Hope Lupin and her husband. “You’re looking lovely today. Have you taken any anti-aging potion? Because you look younger every time I see you.” 

Remus followed with despair and rage battling inside him, the only reaction possible when Sirius Black flirts with your mother. James and Peter followed with eager looks – they know Sirius’ tendency to go overboard and there was always the chance that Remus would reach the nadir of his patience and crack and subsequently murder Sirius. James would of course help him hide the body _and_ inform on him to the Aurors when they come looking. He can be a good friend to _both_ of them. 

“The way the sun shines in your hair – I have never such a shade of brown, Hope-“ 

“Mrs. Lupin,” Remus said through gritted teeth. 

“Your eyes though,” Sirius continued without missing a beat, but then paused. 

“Yes Sirius?” Hope said with a grin. 

Sirius signed. “I’m sorry, but I forgot what I was going to say, I just got so lost in your eyes. Are you sure you’re not a witch, Hope? Because I’m completely charmed by you.” 

Lyall, always tolerant of Remus’s friends’ shenanigans asked over Hope’s laughter, “How was the train ride, boys?” 

“Ride was fine.” James replied. “The trolley witch knows how to hold a grudge though.” 

“The Pumpkin Pasties she gave us were squashed.” Peter said in an aggrieved tone. “And all the cards were missing in the frogs.” 

“Peter went to exchange the sweets,” snorted James, “And disappeared for half the ride.” 

“Any plans for the hols?” Lyall asked, valiantly ignoring Sirius holding his wife’s hand and praising their softness. 

James grimaced. “Newt classes are tough, so little bit of revision to get ahead and jollying around the rest of the time I hope; and keeping this one out of trouble.” James hooked a thumb at Sirius with a grin. 

“That’s a tall order.” Remus said a bit nastily. 

“You know,” Sirius said leaning towards him confidentially, “You should be nicer to me; I could end up as your stepfather one day.” 

It was quite possible that today would be the day that people would witness the heretofore unseen phenomenon – a werewolf transforming in broad daylight, his transformation prompted by righteous wrath. 

“Sirius,” Hope started with a look of sly mischief in her eyes that only her husband detected. “I’m curious, you find me very attractive don’t you? My hair, my eyes and so on.” 

“Of course,” Sirius said in delight, under the mistaken belief that she was playing along with him. “I -” 

“Well, have you ever given a thought to _how much_ Remus resembles me?” 

“Er-” Sirius spluttered, thrown. 

“Look at his hair for instance, just like mine and how the sun strikes it,” Hope parroted Sirius’s words. “And his eyes, are you not enchanted with them – no – you would get _lost_ in them!” 

Sirius went still, much like a deer that has sighted a lion, only this lion isn’t interested in devouring him and spitting out his bones (unless it’s metaphorical), she’s looking to _play_ with him. 

“And his cheekbones,” taunted Hope, “I mean, Remus has inherited his bone structure from me, isn’t that right darling?” she asked her husband. 

Lyall readily agreed. 

“I’ve noticed that too.” James chimed in, shaking in suppressed laughter. James was a bastard and a traitor, Sirius thought darkly. 

“So, theoretically, you should find him just as attractive-” 

“It’s not the same,” Sirius stammered. “You-I-uh-” 

He felt his face turning red and from the corner of his eyes saw that Remus’s cheeks were flushed too. 

“And I know how many times you’ve called me pretty- that really should make Remus pretty as well, shouldn’t it?” 

“Mum,” Remus protested feebly in a strangled tone. Sirius did not dare to look at him. 

“Don’t you think my son is pretty, Sirius?” Hope asked again, her eyes bright with mischief. 

McGonagall didn’t know what she was about, Lupins were all trouble. 

Lyall had his fist held in front of his mouth to hide his grin, not attempting to reign in his wife, content in letting her wreck havoc and being witness to the utter embarrassment of his son. 

Curse these Lupins! 

“And his hands, Sirius, his hands should be as soft as mine-go on, touch them.” 

Sirius flushed even more, though it was barely possible. Beside him James was gasping for breath and Lyall was having trouble staying upright; Peter, in a attempt to join in the fun and demonstrating his extreme lack of tact and self-preservation grabbed Remus’ and Sirius’ hands and tried to join them. Sirius roughly shoved at him, snarling, wishing that they were standing closer to a train track, so he could shove Peter right into the path of an oncoming train. 

“Right, you’ve had your fun,” Lyall told his wife. “Now we need to get going.” 

Hope fluttered her fingers in goodbye as she was whisked away by her husband, Remus following behind them. He turned at the exit and after hesitating for a few seconds raised his hand at Sirius bidding him farewell. Sirius smiled weakly and waved back awkwardly, his stomach feeling strangely light; secretly he studied Remus’ amber eyes, and almost missed Remus mouthing _‘See you next term’_. He kept watching till Remus was out of sight, his eyes drawn to the way the sun shone in his friends blond highlights. 

James slapped his back companionably and chuckled before plunging back into the mess of Hogwarts students and their families, all making their way home. Sirius unsteadily made his way to a pillar and leaned back against it to support his trembling legs. He raised his head slightly, squinting to block out the melee of people so that all he could see was the top of the Hogwarts train and the weak wisps of smoke it was emitting, curling into air and rising upward until they vanished, and waited for the Potters. 

***

Sirius smiled lazily at the two girls who’d walked past him for the third time. Or maybe fourth or fifth, he hadn’t been paying proper attention. It was the start of a new term and the platform was a seething mess of people. 

Fifth year, Sirius decided, though he couldn’t remember seeing one the girls anywhere in the castle, the other one he thought must be in Ravenclaw. He shifted a little, feeling the stone of the pillar scraping his back through the thin t-shirt. The girls passed him again, having acquired a third. Slightly annoyed now, he ignored them, squinting into the sun. The chimney of the train was already faintly smoking in readiness; the spirals rising into the air gently. He frowned slightly, feeling a slight sensation of déjà-vu; hadn’t he…seen that exact thing before? The strange view of the top of the train, the spirals of smoke, the clouds…he frowned harder but the feeling dissipated after a few seconds. 

“Hi Sirius!” Peter called out enthusiastically. “Just came in! What about you?” 

“Got up bloody early,” Sirius emphasized with a yawn. “The Potters had some ministry work, dropped me and James an hour ago.” Peter made sympathetic noises. 

The girls passed by again, their group even larger. Sirius wondered if they were multiplying like rabbits. He waved at them and they fled, giggling. 

“Here for them?” Peter asked appreciatively. 

“No,” Sirius replied. “Waiting for you and Remus. Say, have you seen him?” 

“No,” Peter replied, rocking back and forth on his heels, a gesture that had always annoyed Sirius. “Yes-here he comes.” 

Sirius straightened up from his slouch, watching Remus stride towards them, taking in all the changes from the time spent apart. No new scars, though he had grown two inches at least. At this rate he would be the tallest of the four. He had a serious look on his face, Sirius noted with worry, but he wasn’t limping or moving carefully in the way he did when he was tender from a hurt. 

“Hullo Peter,” Remus nodded at them. 

“Hullo Remus, how’re your folks?” Peter asked. 

“They’re with the Longbottoms.” Nothing wrong with the family, then. Remus glanced at Sirius. “James?” He asked Peter. 

“Dunno-” 

“With Evans,” Sirius interrupted. Remus looked at him and then away. And again gave him a fleeting look, as if he couldn’t keep his eyes off Sirius but trying to hide it. Absurdly that reminded him of the girls passing by him again and again. He rubbed his thumb across his lips, feeling a slight smile upon them. “Trying to peek down her skirt or look up her blouse.” 

Peter laughed loudly, as he always did but Remus’ face didn’t even twitch. “So lads, are we trying to jump off the train again this time? Might be our last chance! I had an idea over the hols-you remember there was this viaduct on the-” 

“I need to speak with you,” Remus interrupted Peter, his eyes on Sirius, in fact the entire time Peter had been talking Remus’ eyes had not wavered from Sirius’ face. “It’s very important.” 

“Go ahead,” said Sirius, in a low, intimate tone of voice that had come out unintentionally. 

“Alone,” Remus continued after a beat. “I hope you don’t mind Peter.” Remus said this in a tone that clearly indicated a lack of concern whether Peter agreed or not. 

“Alright…” Peter stuttered, confused. 

Remus jerked his head at Sirius, indicating that he should follow him and strode off towards the train and Sirius followed without a backward glance. If either of them had glanced back they would have seen the way that Peter was dwarfed by the tall columns, half in shade, half in sunlight, alone and awkward set slightly apart from the rest of the teeming mass near the train in that small private section of the Hogwarts platform. 

Sirius trailed behind Remus, both of them greeted by their schoolmates from various houses and years. But Remus would not be deterred and doggedly kept going and Sirius kept behind him, not willing to lose him. There was a strange tension in Remus’ back, and only once did he turn around to check on Sirius, his eyes bright with some indefinable emotion. Sirius was half grateful that Remus only did it once, that gaze on him direct had been like looking into the sun. 

The tension that possessed Remus had begun to posses Sirius too. Walking through the masses of people they might be but Sirius felt he and Remus were the only people there, the only ones that mattered. Sirius suspected that something momentous was about to happen. What else would Remus would want to talk about? 

Remus climbed on the train and checked compartments steadily as they moved to the back of the train, silently dismissing them for some reason or another. Frank and Alice Longbottom were snogging in one of them, or someone who looked like them. Frank had confessed his love to Alice in the marauders’ fourth year and their last in one of the very compartments and been overheard. Sirius hoped that whatever Remus had to say, it would be done discreetly. Though, in the end, Frank and Alice had not seemed to mind. 

They reached the end of the train and stopped near a pair of bathrooms with foully tempered mirrors which gave fierce and unkind criticisms to the students on their looks, consequently they were rarely used. The compartments here were empty too. 

Remus turned around, and looked fiercely at Sirius. “Well, Remus,” Sirius drawled out cockily, valiantly ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. “What did you want to say to me?” 

“Did you put that diadem back into my trunk?” Remus asked. 

“What?” Sirius asked thrown. This was not what he had expected. 

“Did you?” Remus asked again, forcefully. 

“Yes, but, was that what you wanted to talk about? I thought-” 

“Why would you do that Sirius?” Remus asked, body trembling with _anger_. For Remus had been angry the whole time since they met on the station and Sirius had thought- he didn’t know what he had thought. 

“Why are you getting so angry about it? It was just a-” 

“It was cursed! My dad took one look at it and knew it was a Dark object; he was locked up all night with it! Didn’t even turn it in to the ministry, he couldn’t! Not when it came from _me_. He had to track down Dumbledore- why would you do that Sirius?” 

“It was just a joke,” Sirius said helplessly. “I didn’t know it was a Dark artifact, I would never have given it you if I knew.” 

“I thought you learnt your lesson when it came to pranks,” Remus said quietly. 

Sirius went cold all over. 

“Dumbledore asked me where you got it. I had to tell him about the Room. He asked me why you gave the diadem to me,” Remus said steadily and quietly. 

_I gave it to you because you like that sort of stuff, not jewelry, but old stuff and you would have had a ball of a time figuring out what it did and where it came from and who it belonged to and whether goblins made it, you would figure that out from the make and most of all it reminded me of you, tarnished but still beautiful. And you never let me **buy** you anything. _

“It was a bit of fun that’s all,” Sirius said coolly. “I saw a bit of junk and took it and gave it to the first person I saw. That’s all. I’m sorry it turned out to be Dark and your Dad had trouble over it. It won’t happen again.” Then he turned around, away from the suspicion in Remus’ eyes and as steadily as he could, walked away. 

***

Sirius could feel his legs cramping as he crouched on the ground in the middle of a bloody graveyard. 

“Don’t move,” James hissed. 

“My legs are killing me,” Sirius hissed back. 

“ _I’ll_ kill you,” James said dangerously. 

“Dumbledore’s off his rocker, why’s he wasting the Order’s time here?” Sirius complained. 

“I told you, Fenwick’s sure that bloody Death Eaters are using this field as a meeting place. And remember what Dumbledore said,” James warned. “Not to engage, just spy and get as much information as we can.” 

“That’s not the Gryffindor way,” Sirius grumbled. “I wish we were at the beach instead. This place is creepy. There are no names on the stones.” 

James shrugged, “This place was where the poor and unidentified and criminals were buried. The muggles don’t use it anymore but-” He looked around uneasily. “Remus reckons that Voldemort and the Death Eaters might try to raise the dead here as Inferi.” 

“He might be right,” Sirius said in resignation. “The Prewetts are next shift, right?” 

“No, it’s McKinnon and Bones.” 

“Ha, _Bones_.” 

James made a face. Sirius smirked. “What, not in the mood for a little _gallows_ humor?” 

James didn’t reply and Sirius blew out a low breath of exasperation. The field they were surveilling had an austere beauty, amplified under the starlight and moonlight. It was located away from any city and the nearest village was a bit of a walk away, so there were no streetlights, just the field stretching out open and only a few trees dotting the landscape. The tombstones were scattered but neat on the northern side but the rest of the field was empty, the bodies buried under the earth with nothing to mark them. 

“You’re shadowing the Bones kids tomorrow aren’t you?” James asked, suppressing a yawn. 

“You mean today,” Sirius replied, looking east at the light streaking through the sky. “Drew the short straw. I go straight to Diagon Alley from here.” 

“Tough luck mate.” James sympathetically thumped his back. “Another night with nothing to show for it. Let’s go.” 

They stood up and disapparated to separate places and left no mark of themselves behind. In the pre-morning stillness everything seemed quiet and peaceful. James apparated to Lily and they embraced gladly, with James breathing in the scent of Lily’s hair and being reminded there were good things in the world. Sirius apparated to Diagon Alley to watch over the Bones kids as they did their school shopping. 

James had allowed Sirius to borrow his invisibility cloak, so it was easy to follow the kids around but a bit distasteful. He felt like a pervert. At least one other Order member was certainly around though Sirius wasn’t sure how they were concealing themselves. Maybe they had simply taken the easy way out and were hidden amongst the shoppers as one of them. It would be a tad difficult seeing as there weren’t many people around. The normally bustling Diagon Alley had turned into a ghost town. 

As he followed the Bones kids into Flourish and Blotts, Sirius felt a pang of sympathy for Edgar. Busy with Ministry work or with the Order and having to have his kids followed for their own protection till they were safely off in Hogwarts. The first year books were in a pile near the front of the store with a bunch of kids and parents gathered around them and Edgar’s kids joined them. Sirius drifted towards the quills display, pondering whether to buy a set each for Lily and Remus, since those two went through quills at a frankly bewildering rate, when a flash of white blonde hair caught his eye. 

Lucius Malfoy, demonstrating none of the fearfulness of the rest of the shoppers, stepped towards the window display. Sirius’ famous temper reared his head as he pondered the effectiveness of various nasty hexes he knew. He was tempted to break his cover and just curse Malfoy, might as well preempt him by foiling his attack on the kids, Edgar’s or any of the muggleborns in the shop. 

Only Malfoy didn’t make any attempt to attack anyone. He sneered at the muggleborns near him, causing them to shrink away in fear but otherwise took no notice of anyone but the manager who he summoned with an imperious flick of his fingers. Sirius seethed under the cloak, searching for any excuse to do violence to Malfoy’s person. As he deliberated over the various courses of action available, Sirius became aware of the way Malfoy kept touching a certain pocket in his cloak. Crouching on the floor and various other undignified positions later he determined it was a plain black looking diary, very muggle looking and strangely familiar looking though the feeling passed. 

It was clearly important from the way Malfoy was behaving, and so it was clearly important that Sirius get his hands on it. It might have valuable information on Death Eater activity, though Sirius doubted it, Malfoy wasn’t stupid enough to write it down. In his heart of hearts, Sirius hoped it was Malfoy’s personal diary but that was an even more preposterous idea. 

Devising a quick plan, Sirius slid to the back of the shop and quickly selected a blank book. Transfiguring it into roughly the look of Malfoy's diary was another few moments of work. He crept back towards the front, pausing near a table of divination books and slid a dungbomb between two stacks. He moved stealthily back towards Malfoy and positioned himself, his heart thudding so loudly he was afraid someone would hear it. 

The distraction worked better that Sirius hoped. The dungbomb went off with an extra loud bang, modified as it was and filled the room with an acrimonious smell and loud screams of terror as people panicked. On the edge that they were, spells immediately went firing in every direction till the manager shouted for calm and unearthed the remains of the dungbomb. It was declared the work of an idiot, thickheaded prankster, which was not untrue. 

Nervous laughter filled the bookshop, but Malfoy did not join them. Throwing a suspicious look around him, he hurried out of the shop and made towards Gringotts. 

Sirius watched him go with a grin, spinning the diary between his fingers and decided to buy the quills after all. 

***

“You’re in a foul temper,” Lily observed. Sirius moodily took a turn of the tiny kitchen, which was clearly not big enough for his dramatics. The _flat_ was not big enough. Lily and James’s new flat was in London. They had been living in her parents’ house, then rented a small place in the countryside, then moved here. A frequent shift of residences was what kept them safe from Voldemort. The cottage in the countryside had been burnt down after they last dueled him and lived. Lily was taking it all rather calmly. 

Sirius huffed as he leant against the window. The flat was located near the commercial part of Vauxhall Road, and as such was never quiet. The Potters had to put charms on the walls to reduce the noise pollution. 

He had flipped through the diary with great excitement, only to be hideously disappointed. It was empty, with only an unfamiliar muggle name written on it. A brief number of spells to reveal any hidden writing proved equally disappointing. Sirius had to confront the fact that he had put children in danger to satisfy his curiosity. 

“…rather sick.” 

“Huh?” Sirius turned to Lily, who gave him a stern look. 

“You haven’t listened to a word I've been saying! Something on your mind?” Lily asked tartly. 

“Uhh…” Sirius fumbled in his pockets. “I got you a present.” He pushed a quill set across the small round dining table. Lily smiled sweetly, but refused to be distracted so Sirius slid the other quill set across too. 

“Umm…give this to Remus will you? You’ll probably see him before me,” Sirius mumbled. 

Lily’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And why is that? Are you avoiding him? _Suspecting him of anything?_ ” 

“For God’s sake, does James tell you _everything_?” Sirius asked, exasperated. 

“You’re suspecting him of being on Voldemort’s side, I've never heard of something so stupid-” Lily snapped at him. 

“Look, James already gave me an earful, alright?” Sirius cut in. Would nothing distract this woman? 

“We need to trust each other…now more than ever…” 

“Do you know Alice Longbottom’s pregnant?” Sirius said. 

“Don’t try to distract me-” Lily started to say, outraged but paused. “Pregnant?” 

“Yes,” Sirius said, pleased. 

“Oh.” Lily looked rather awed, which he found rather odd but shrugged off, he was grateful that she was off his back. She began to look around herself, ruffling through the pile of newspapers, searching for something. 

“Lily? What is it?” Sirius asked. She didn’t pay any attention to him. “Evans!” He exclaimed forcefully, knocking her out of her stupor. 

“Did you happen to get me any parchment? I've run out.” 

Sirius hesitated for a moment, then took the diary out of his pocket and passed it to her. She took it in her hands and with raised eyebrows flipped through it. “What’s this?” 

“Nicked it from Malfoy.” Sirius told her truthfully. 

“ _Lucius Malfoy_?” Lily asked incredulously. “Oh, Sirius.” 

“Nothing in it. Use it if you want.” 

***

“Where’s Remus?” Peter asked. “Isn’t he late?” 

“Obviously,” Sirius bit out savagely. Peter leaned warily away from him. 

“Only by twenty minutes,” James cut in firmly. He was shaking in nervous excitement. One moment he was drumming fingers on the table, next his leg was making the whole table shake. It was slowly driving Sirius mad. 

“Do you need to use the loo?” Sirius asked exasperated. 

“No,” James said, distracted. “Do you think Fleamont is a good name? My da got beaten up for it but good solid name, you know?” 

Sirius and Peter were spared from answering by the arrival of Remus who bought the cold wind whistling in with him. Sirius jumped up, “Finally,” he said curtly. He caught hold of Remus’ arm and roughly stripped him of his threadbare overcoat and scarf. Peter and James watched in bemusement. 

Remus stumbled into his seat, looking at Sirius in slight reproach. “I was busy with some research for Dumbledore.” Remus apologized to James. “Lost track of time.” 

From the corner of his eye, Sirius could see Peter shaking his head. James and Remus didn’t notice. Sirius went to the bar and ordered Firewhiskey for everyone, feeling sick to his stomach. He took the glasses in one hand and the bottles in the other. Striding back towards their table, he set down the glasses in front of each of them and the bottles in the middle before taking a seat between James and Remus. 

“We were talking about the Gringotts break-in.” Peter explained to Sirius. 

“Oh, that?” Sirius blinked. 

“Rumor is that the deep level vaults of Gringotts were broken into. Your family’s vault is down there, right?” Peter asked in a suggestive tone. Remus looked sharply at Peter. 

“All the purebloods vaults are down there,” Sirius carelessly replied. “Rowle, Malfoy, Crabbe, Lestrange, Black…” 

“Forget about that,” James said impatiently. “I have good news, great news!” James took in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “I’m goingtobeafather!” 

“What?” Peter asked. Remus leaned forward. 

“I’m going to be a father. Lily’s pregnant.” 

“Well, knock me over with a feather,” Sirius said weakly. 

Peter’s mouth was hanging open, and there was a wide grin on Remus’ face. “Congratulations, Prongs.” 

“Thanks Moony.” James turned to Sirius. 

Sirius took a deep breath. “Two things. One, dibs on godfather. Second, sure it’s yours?” 

“Oy,” James shouted, enraged, over the sounds of his friends laughter. 

“Kidding, Prongs, just kidding.” Sirius grinned. “A little prongslet…what a thought.” 

The night passed in a rare mood of revelry, all of them determined to celebrate James’ good fortune. No word of death or disappearances crossed their lips, not tonight. At the end of the night, James was swaying and Sirius wasn’t much better. Remus was slightly more sober. 

Peter, who had imbibed the least of them, promised to visit Lily soon, as he tied the scarf around his thick neck and hurried off to his mother’s house. James disapparated to Lily, no doubt narrowly avoiding a splinching. That left only Sirius and Remus. 

“Bring your motorbike?” Remus asked. 

“No,” Sirius slowly shook his head. “Apparated, then walked.” Remus’ hand was on Sirius’ lower back, ostensibly to help him with his balance; it was distracting all the same. 

“Want me to come with?” Remus asked casually. 

“Yes,” Sirius said forcibly. “I need...I need…” 

“A sobriety potion?” 

“Hah!” Sirius tripped over a snow drift and leaned against a very obliging and steady wall. He patted it in thanks. There was an itching in his fingers. He wanted to touch. 

“Sirius?” 

Sirius shushed him. Remus was leaning towards him, all concerned. He raised a hand and rested it on Remus’ cheek, rubbing it back and forth to feel the rough stubble. Remus was as still as a statue. If Sirius didn’t know any better he would have thought that Remus had stopped breathing, but that was just stupid. 

Remus exhaled in a huge sigh, as if he had been holding it in for a while or was just really exasperated, when it concerned Sirius it was usually the latter, Sirius thought bitterly. His hand caught Sirius’ wrist, stilling it, but didn’t remove it. 

They stayed that way for a few more seconds till Remus broke the silence. “Sirius, what are you doing?” 

“Regulus is missing.” Sirius closed his eyes. He didn’t say the rest, what everyone knew, and the rumors about his fate. 

Remus moved closer to Sirius and slowly took him in his arms, wrapping him in a fierce hug. Sirius buried his face in Remus’ shoulder to stifle the words that wanted so desperately to spill out. He wanted to confess everything… 

“Come on, you’re in no shape to go home. Let’s go back to the inn, there should be a room free.” 

Sirius nodded into his shoulder and pushed away, stumbling back towards the Hog’s Head. Once inside, he headed straight upstairs. He was vaguely aware of Remus speaking to the Innkeeper behind him. On the first floor landing, he paused and peered at the door numbers. He was so drunk he could barely read them. 

“That one,” Remus said, pointing towards a room. Yawning, Sirius headed in. Remus hesitated for a long moment, and then followed him inside. 

***

“You and Remus get back alright last night?” James asked. 

“Too drunk,” Sirius answered casually. “Took a room at the Inn.” 

They were, as per Moody and Dumbledore’s instructions, laying down border spells at the various locations they had been surveilling for Death Eater meetings. Unfortunately, the number of locations had rapidly outstripped the resources of the Order and Lily had come up with a clever little charm that would set off if any person with magical ability crossed the lines. They were all crossing their fingers hoping that the Death Eaters wouldn’t realize they had set it off. 

“I’m off to the next one,” Sirius told James. He grunted in reply, kneeling at the boundary wall of a crumbling church. The sun had already set, and the sky was a dark purple color, quickly turning darker. The stars were already out. 

With a sharp Crack, Sirius apparated into the creepy field/graveyard that he and James had been keeping an eye on. He had appeared in the open field not bothering with cover, because he didn’t expect anything. 

Sirius didn’t know how long he stood there. Long enough that the stars had all appeared and the moon was shining unhindered. Somewhere, wherever he was, Remus had glanced up at it, as he always did, to remind himself of the phases of the moon. There were no clouds to veil his view. James apparated behind him after a while. Sirius couldn’t see his face but he heard the sharp breath he took when he saw what Sirius saw. 

The field was empty. The formally smooth grassed ground was dug up all over. 

“Where did they go?” James asked in a hushed voice. 

The dead had dug their way out of their own graves. Their resting places had not been marked by any stone, but their rising had left their mark on the land. The field was pockmarked with small holes as far as Sirius could see. He had not realized there would be so many. In some places the openings were huge, almost fissures in the earth or craters-that would be the mass graves, where many had been buried together, maybe dozens, perhaps in a mound. There must’ve have been hundreds. 

Sirius looked down where he was standing very close to an opening in ground. James and Sirius were lucky that they hadn’t apparated right over any of them. As he watched, a clump of dirt from the rim loosed and fell inside. 

“A better question,” Sirius said in a distant, detached voice. “Is what did Voldemort do with them?” 

***

The Longbottom’s house was a cheery place, much different from the usual pureblood, magical homes. But then Alice and Frank had moved to a new place after their marriage, wanting to be alone from the rest of the family. Considering Frank’s mother Sirius could definitely not fault them. 

The place was festooned with balloons, crepe paper and shiny string and the entire order seemed to be in attendance. The dining table was groaning under the weight of two huge cakes, one each for the expectant mothers, a fact which still staggered Sirius. James, a father. The boy he met on the train less than 10 years ago was going to have a sprog and send him off to Hogwarts in 10 or so years. 

Sirius felt like crying. Maybe he should do it on James’ shoulder, and since James was looking like a grownup, discussing serious things with Edgar Bones and Emmeline Vance, it seemed an excellent time. He was determined to enjoy the party. The disappeared dead had shaken him badly and he expected a horde of Inferi to walk into London anytime. The fact that there was no sign of them made him even more troubled. 

Sirius felt a touch at his sleeve and turned around. “Moony! You made it.” 

Remus smiled looking a bit exhausted, but overall fine. “Couldn’t miss this. Got some stuff from my mother for Lily.” He held up a cardboard box with scribbling on it. 

“What’s this then?” Sirius tried to peer through the flaps at the top. 

“A Woman’s Guide To Surviving Motherhood.” Remus quoted wryly. Sirius barked out a laugh. “I’ll just give to her and be right back, alright?” 

“Alright.” Sirius watched through the doorway as Remus went into the kitchen and presented the box to Lily. She pushed aside the diary she was writing in. She looked a bit tired, with dark shadows under her eyes and pallid skin. The pregnancy glow certainly wasn’t as evident on her as on Alice. 

Remus came back with two bottles of butterbeer in hand. Cracking his open, Sirius took a long swallow. 

“How’s your mother?” he asked Remus, who gave him a stern look. “Hey, completely innocent.” Sirius protested. 

“Right,” Remus scoffed. “I don’t trust you. I never should have invited the three of you to my house that summer. Worst decision of my life.” Remus complained. 

“I remember that year,” Sirius said appreciatively. “I think Mrs. Lupin kick started all our puberties.” 

Remus punched Sirius on the shoulder, and Sirius laughing, fumbled with his bottle, trying to stop it from spilling all over him. Remus was grinning, fist raised in mock threat to hit him again when the Prewetts appeared before them. 

“What’s this about puberty, hmm?” Fabian asked. “Have you finally started on the journey to be a man, Black?” 

“So proud, just so proud,” Gideon pretended to wipe away a tear. “They grow up so quickly.” 

“Bugger off.” Sirius retorted. 

“Is that a muggle air horn?” Remus pointed at the bottle that Fabian was holding. “What’re you doing with that?” 

“Put it under a chair, and feed on the chaos instead of dinner.” Fabian answered promptly. 

“Don’t put it where Lily or Alice will sit.” Sirius warned, his protective instincts kicking in. Dammit, now James had got him doing it too. 

“It will be blind,” Gideon asserted. “But we’ll keep a sharp eye on those two, _godfather_.” They roguishly winked in tandem and strode off into the kitchen while Sirius tried to pretend he didn’t want to swoon. 

“Really, after all this time? Those two? Your affection goes all over the place doesn’t it?” Remus asked in pretend rancor. 

“Are you calling me a slut?” 

Remus paused for a minute. “Yes.” 

It was Remus’ turn to be hit, and before the shoving match got properly underway, they were all called to dinner. Remus and Sirius looked carefully under the chairs before they sat, but poor Peter didn’t. 

The air horn let out a truly atrocious wail, and Peter leapt out of his chair in shock, his face landing right into one of the cakes. The entire Order burst into laughter, with even Peter joining in after he had been thoroughly cleaned. It was a juvenile prank, not up to Fabian and Gideon’s real standards, but it cheered everyone up and dissipated the remainder of the tense atmosphere that always lingered nowadays. 

Sirius leaned against Remus, who was joking with Dorcas Meadows; James had his arm around Lily who was leaning across the table to hear Moody and Marlene discussing the new laws Moody’s boss had passed. Peter had gotten up, complaining he still needed a wash. Occupied as they were with each other, James, Sirius, Remus nor Lily, noticed when Peter paused at the doorway and looked at the Prewetts, his eyes bright with hate. 

***

“I need a holiday,” Sirius said firmly. 

“You berk,” James replied without direction and rancor. 

“I keep going to the same places and seeing the same ugly faces,” Sirius continued undeterred. “I want to go to the beach…sun and everyone dressed in skimpy clothes…” 

“I want to go with Lily,” James said mournfully as Sirius scowled. “I wish we could go to France for a while, or even tour a year like you and I talked about. But…we can’t leave. Not while this is happening. Not when people are depending on us.” 

Sirius hadn’t expected the conversation to take such a serious turn. “Ever feel that no matter what you do, it’s not making much of a difference?” 

“Every little bit helps. Isn’t that what the muggles say? Right Lily?” They turned to Lily, who was scribbling notes in a black book. 

“Hmm,” she replied. 

James and Sirius exchanged a glance. They tried communicating with their eyebrows, but failed dismally. They never had mastered the art of that, though they gave it a good try in Hogwarts mostly to make Remus laugh. 

“Chosen a name yet?” Sirius asked meaningfully. 

“I’m not calling it Sirius junior,” James said with a sniff. “You can get that out of your head right now.” 

“Middle name?” 

“James.” 

“Selfish bastard.” 

“Have your own kid then.” 

“You don’t have the hips for it.” 

“Dai Llewellyn James Potter?” 

“No,” Lily interrupted. 

James shot Sirius an exasperated look. 

“Gideon Fabian Potter?” Sirius hazarded. 

James brightened up. “Fabian Gideon James Potter!” 

“I will divorce you,” Lily interrupted again. 

James deflated and Sirius shot him a sympathetic look. 

“I like the name Harry,” James said. “It’s on both Lily’s and mine’s lists.” 

“Harry James Potter,” Sirius tried out thoughtfully. 

Lily let out a startled cry. “What?” James demanded. “It’s a nice name!” 

“No…I-” Lily looked at them with a white face and jumped up, flinging the book she had been writing in across the room. Bewildered, Sirius stepped towards the book and picked it as James tried to calm a hysterical Lily. “It wrote back to me!” she cried out shuddering. 

Sirius turned it over and saw with a strong sense of déjà vu, the diary that he had stolen from Lucius Malfoy. 

***

“Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?” Albus Dumbledore asked, his hands clasped under his chin and elbows resting on his desk. 

Sirius looked warily at Dumbledore, James and Lily were with him in the Headmaster’s office in Hogwarts, but that question seemed suspiciously directed towards him. “A piece of soul,” he said uncertainly, wishing he could feel less like the schoolboy in trouble. Being back in Hogwarts was not helping. “That serves as a backup…until it is destroyed, you’re immortal. Uh, you have to commit murder to create one.” 

“Succinct,” Dumbledore approved. 

“But it’s real?” James pressed. “I thought it was legend…or at the very least that the knowledge of how to make it was lost.” 

“You should know better, Mr. Potter that legend springs from fact and what has been lost can certainly be found again.” 

“Whose Horcrux is it?” Lily asked quietly. 

“Lord Voldemort’s,” Dumbledore said heavily. 

The three of them didn’t express any shock. They had suspected it, after all who else’s could it be? 

“This is a good thing, right?” James pressed, “We found his Horcrux, and we destroy it! Er, you do know how to destroy it don’t you?” 

“I have a few ideas,” Dumbledore said quietly. “But what makes you think he made only one?” 

James groaned and beside him Lily went pale. 

“I taught him when he was a student at Hogwarts, and flatter myself that I know his mind. I long suspected that he might have taken this step…he certainly wouldn’t have balked at the terrible price he would have to pay. But I had no proof, until Sirius unknowingly obtained a Horcrux.” 

Sirius tried not to cringe when three pairs of eyes pointedly rested on him, along with an assortment of portraits that were trying their best to pretend they weren’t paying attention. “The diary,” James nodded. 

“No,” Dumbledore smiled. 

“What?” Sirius burst out. 

“Indeed Mr. Black,” Dumbledore twinkled at him. “In the last year of your Hogwarts education, Mr. Lupin – the elder – passed on to me a trinket which he believed to be of the darkest persuasion that had been gifted to his son by a friend.” 

“You gave Remus a Horcrux?” Lily shrieked disapprovingly. 

That stupid diadem, Sirius brooded, if he could go back in time he would have thrown it off the bloody roof. 

“I examined it, and was able to discern in a few weeks what exactly it was,” Dumbledore continued, vastly enjoying himself, Sirius observed bitterly as he tried to ignore James’ scorching glare at the side of his head. “The artifact itself was ancient and revered, particularly here in Hogwarts and thought lost, until Voldemort tracked it down and used it most deplorably as a vessel for his Horcrux. Ravenclaw’s diadem would have-” 

“You gave Remus Ravenclaw’s diadem?” Lily shrieked jealously. 

“You never give me gifts like that,” James complained. 

“As I was saying,” Dumbledore said, valiantly trying to ignore the interruptions. “The diadem was connected to Hogwarts, which must have appealed to Riddle enormously. What raised my suspicions as to the number of Horcruxes were two observations. Why choose a Ravenclaw legacy when Slytherin would suit much better? And Riddle always prided himself on pressing beyond what had been done by others…he would not be satisfied by one Horcrux. To that I had no proof either…until this diary.” Dumbledore looked at Sirius over his half moon glasses. “I find it quite fascinating Mr. Black, that you seek out Horcruxes like a niffler seeks out gold.” 

James sniggered. 

“It’s just a coincidence,” Sirius protested weakly. 

“What is the difference between fate and coincidence?” Dumbledore speculated. “There are forces at work of which we are quite ignorant of. Or perhaps you were simply in the right place at the right time. Twice.” 

“How many Horcruxes?” Lily asked in a whisper. 

“I don’t know, my dear,” Dumbledore said heavily. “I have been making enquires, rooting out old memories and secrets…the precise number, however eludes me. But,” Dumbledore continued sharply. “I have a plan as to that.” 

“Which is?” Sirius asked. 

“I will reveal in due time,” Dumbledore said blithely. 

“Is there any way we can help?” James asked anxiously. 

“I was hoping you would volunteer,” Dumbledore beamed. “I have a few tasks for you, information that we need.” 

“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Sirius swore. 

“Excellent,” Dumbledore said heartily. “A word of warning though, let this not pass your lips to anyone, not even close and treasured friends. Do I have your word?” 

James and Lily swore in the affirmative. Sirius hesitated, “What about-” 

“We cannot let even a whisper pass to Lord Voldemort that we are aware of his Horcruxes. Your word, Mr. Black.” 

“I swear,” Sirius said reluctantly. 

“I won’t be of much help for a while,” Lily said ruefully, patting her big belly. 

“Ah, yes. I have a quite important task for you, Lily, the most important in point of fact, though it can wait. Er- when are you due? In August wasn’t it?” Dumbledore asked hopefully. 

“Oh, no. End of this month actually. Me and Alice together,” Lily said cheerfully. 

Was it Sirius’ imagination or did Dumbledore look disappointed? 

“I wish you the best of luck, my dear,” Dumbledore said. “Oh, and please do visit Professor Slughorn will you? It would please him to see an old favorite.” 

“Alright,” Lily said confused. 

“As for you two,” Dumbledore turned to James and Sirius. “I want you to start discreet inquiries into events that transpired over fifty years ago. You will go to the village where Lord Voldemort’s parents met.” 

***

“Little Hangleton,” James announced. “What a lively place.” 

The village was tiny and Sirius reckoned the population was only a few hundred or less. They were hanging around the local pub, trying not to look too shady. From there they could see the Riddle house, and had heard all about its sordid history. But separating fact from gossip was proving to be difficult. 

Frank Bryce could give valuable information, since he had known the Riddles before their death. Tracking him down was proving a little difficult what with everyone insisting he was a murderer. Sirius tried to imagine how it would feel to be falsely accused of murder while the real criminal went off scot free, it would no doubt be maddening. 

“I’m been meaning to pick a bone with you,” James confronted Sirius. “You gave Remus and Lily a Horcrux, where’s mine you berk? Don’t you love me anymore?” 

“No, you got fat and nagging after marriage,” Sirius retorted. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you,” James said casually, changing the subject. “What’s going on with you and Remus?” 

“Nothing,” Sirius said tersely. 

Sirius walked away before James could continue, he hadn’t been lying, James _had_ gotten naggy since the wedding. 

They got into the police station, tiny as it was, pretending to be new recruits and after a few confounding charms, gained access to the records as directed by Lily. Reading through it wasn’t much help, there was nothing that Dumbledore hadn’t already told them. Aggravated by their failure, they left the station. 

Sirius thoughts went back to the first Horcrux, the diadem. Remus should have kissed him in sheer gratefulness, instead of _shoving_ him. The entire Ravenclaw house would have sacrificed a hemisphere of their brains to get the diadem. But Remus hadn’t known, so he could be forgiven but it was hard that Sirius couldn’t crow over this to him. 

After Hogwarts Sirius had subtly offered to share his flat with Remus only to be refused. Offering more overtly had been returned with an even firmer rejection. You could give and give to Remus, but he simply refused to take or give away anything of himself. His walls didn’t let anything in or out. 

“Sirius!” 

Sirius looked up at the large automobile bearing down on him, before having the wind knocked out of him and landing at the side of the road. He felt the car pass by extremely closely. There was a moment of silence and then extreme loudness as everyone started blabbering. James pulled him up roughly from the ground and then helped the man who had pushed Sirius out of the way. He had a bum leg. 

“Frank, you saved his life!” one of the villagers said in amazement. 

“I thought those bloody things were supposed to stop when there’s someone in the way,” Sirius muttered to James, who shot him an unamused look in reply. 

The crowd, Sirius noted in irritation, was unnaturally effusive. The man who had saved Sirius only grunted in reply when James thanked him and shoved his way out of the crowd, ignoring them. James and Sirius were invited into the pub, to ostensibly recuperate from the shock. Sirius wanted to refuse and call it a day, but James dragged him in by the arm and had them set up in a private corner, with a few privacy charms discreetly and hastily cast. 

“What the bloody hell where you doing?” James asked furiously, taking a long pull of his drink and nearly choking on the taste. 

“Couldn’t apparate out, could I?” Sirius replied irritably. “And anyway, even if I had been squashed flat by that thing, magic would have healed me.” 

“Magic can’t heal everything,” James snapped back. 

Sirius was about to question what had had crawled up James’ arse when he remembered that Lily’s parents had died recently in a car crash. Contrite, he mumbled an apology. 

“What were you thinking about anyway? You had a fierce look on your face,” James asked, calmer. 

“Remus,” Sirius replied without thinking. James stared at him in shock. Sirius flushed when he realized what he had said. “That’s not what it sounds like.” 

“Lily is the only person I’d be spaced out about so much that I would walk into traffic,” James said quietly. 

“Come on James,” Sirius protested. “It isn’t like that.” 

“Isn’t it? Lily reckons you were involved in Hogwarts and broke up. I told her it was rubbish, you would have told me.” 

“We were never together,” Sirius assured him triumphantly. “It was just sex.” 

Staring at James’ face, which was rapidly turning a shade of red that put Lily’s hair to shame, Sirius wondered if he hadn’t been slipped some veritaserum or babbling potion. 

“Since when?” James screeched in a whisper. 

Sirius considered finding the car again so he could pay the driver to run him over, properly this time. 

“Since fifth year,” Sirius said in resignation. 

“ _Fifth year?_ ” James looked on the verge of an apoplectic fit. “I _knew_ something was going on with you two! Wait,” James said, with realization dawning on his features. “The Prank? Were you two…?” 

Sirius nodded. James scowled at him angrily, “No wonder he forgave you so easily! You tricked him into forgiving you through orgasms!” 

“Not bloody likely,” Sirius snapped back. “He wouldn’t let me touch him for months after.” 

“Do you even know how that sounds like?” Sirius didn’t say anything, but James continued undeterred. “You do know that a Horcrux is an inappropriate courting gift right?” James asked seriously. Sirius’ eyes bulged. “Are you still having sex?” 

“None of your business,” Sirius finally let out through gritted teeth. 

“I won’t give up,” James pushed. “I’ll keep trying to have this conversation. In front of Lily, in the middle of a duel with Voldemort, _in the loo_.” 

“Yes,” Sirius gave in crossly. “Last time was in the Hog’s Head when you told us about Lily’s pregnancy.” 

“Ever had sex with anyone else?” James pressed. 

“No.” 

“Remus?” 

“Ask _him_.” 

“You know what this sounds like?” James crowed. “Sounds like _boyfriends_.” He said teasingly. 

“He’s not my _boyfriend_ or anything.” 

“Why not?” James asked quietly. 

“Because he doesn’t love me,” Sirius snapped, trying to ignore the prickling in his eyes. 

James opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find some comforting words, finally laying a hand on his shoulder in solidarity. The barkeep, clueless to emotional cues, offered them a refill ignoring the fact that Sirius had yet to touch his drink. Sirius, anxious to break off the revelation filled conversation with James, asked him about the man with the bum leg. 

“I didn’t catch his name,” Sirius said. “Frank? Was that it?” 

“Oh yes,” the barkeep nodded. “Frank Bryce it was. The Riddle House’s gardener.” 

Sirius and James looked at each other, wide eyed and then in unison scrambled for the door. 

***

Sirius was at the Longbottom house waiting for Frank, who was stuck at the Ministry. He waited impatiently, hoping Augusta Longbottom wouldn’t drop by to visit her daughter-in-law, since she’d always disliked him. He took the time to go over the events in Little Hangleton after they’d torn after Frank Bryce. 

Talking to the other Frank, Frank Bryce the gardener had been illuminating despite his taciturn manner. He had directed them towards Tom Riddle Senior’s former fiancée, Cecelia Wargrave, who was now in her seventies. Old as she was, she was still very sharp and as she admitted herself still a little in love with Riddle. She recounted her memories of Merope (whose name she hadn’t known) and the way she had stared at her fiancée. 

“I didn’t think there was any danger from her,” Cecelia had said wryly. “Ugly and pathetic as she was. Just goes to show doesn’t it?” 

It was James who had the idea of searching the Gaunt shack after the interview with Cecelia. They had almost missed the Horcrux, hidden as it was but the traces of magic gave away the position. They ripped up the floorboards and found it in an ostentatious and hideous gold box. The curses on it had been frightening, but with a little help they had been able to break it free. 

At the end of the meeting with Cecelia, which they had bought to conclusion with much difficulty since she was intent in discussing her plan to ensnare a Colonel Armitage as Husband Number Four (or simply just seduce him and use him for sex-she wasn’t sure), Sirius had turned to her and asked her if she was still in love with Tom Riddle. 

Her smile had been sad and terrible. “Yes,” she had said. 

“Why?” Sirius had asked. 

Her eyebrows had shot up. “Ever been in love boy?” 

“No.” 

Her laughter had been quick and scornful. “Liar.” Her gaze had been disturbingly understanding. “I wish that when he came back I had gone to him. But my parents would never have allowed it. And I had my pride to think of and a husband too…when Tom died I felt a deep pain. I was surprised by it. I had not seen him in years…why did I care so much? Tom and I were not good people so to speak and our pairing was what was expected of us. We were too good to be true-rich, beautiful, proud. But we loved each other. Or I did. I don’t know about him anymore… I loved my second husband and the next one as well. But I think about Tom too, all the time.” 

It was as if she had read into his heart. Remus, Remus, Remus, all the time, all he thought about was Remus. He felt sick. Lovesick. This was not how a man was supposed to feel, so obsessed with another person. Wasn’t love supposed to be more dignified? Sirius regretted laughing at James mooning over Lily at Hogwarts. This was what he had felt. No matter what he thought about his mind always wandered back to Remus. 

“Sirius, what are you thinking about so earnestly?” Alice asked, jarring him out of his thoughts, which he rather grateful for. She was heavily pregnant and had taken leave from her job as an auror. Sirius always amused himself by comparing the sizes of Lily and Alice during their simultaneous pregnancies. Right now, Alice looked as if she outweighed Lily by a stone. It was possible James’ kid might come out a bit runty. 

Sirius couldn’t leave without talking to Frank, so he tried to amuse himself. “I was thinking about you. You know,” Sirius leaned towards Alice and said in a low, seductive voice, “Frank’s not here, we should really that advantage of that. Ever wanted to have a torrid affair?” 

“Good idea,” Alice said with a wicked glint in her eyes. “Why don’t we start now? I like to be on top.” 

Sirius looked at her round middle and tried bravely not to back away. 

Alice’s smirk changed to a grimace as she bent over slightly and clutched her stomach. “Alice?” Sirius exclaimed in alarm, darting towards her side. 

“I’m alright,” Alice huffed a little and straightened up. “Just-” 

“You’re not going into labor are you?” Sirius asked suspiciously. “Because I didn’t sign up this, _Frank_ did.” 

“It’s just a little cramp, having it on and off,” Alice assured him. 

“That sounds a bloody lot like labor,” Sirius said warily. 

“I would know if it’s labor, Sirius,” Alice said condescendingly, just her water broke. 

As Sirius blinked down, the water splashing over his shoes, he felt a deep rush of terror. Faintly he said, “I’ll call the midwife.” 

“Call Frank,” Alice yelled after him. 

Getting a hold of the midwife was an easy task, Frank – not so much. Deep in auror business, he was hard to track down. Sirius left messages anyway and returned chivalrously to Alice’s side. Alice broke two of his fingers and nearly crushed his hand in gratitude. It was a relief when Frank came rushing in, hair wild and eyes wilder. He glued himself to Alice’s side and they had a tearful reunion more suited to lovers parted for years. It definitely _did not_ bring a lump to Sirius’s throat. 

He hung around for a little while more, fixing his fingers and flexing his hand to restore proper blood flow, occasionally wincing at Alice’s yells of pain. She really should take a pain potion. He idly wondered if Alice, and women in general, would be less susceptible to painful torture curses, like the Cruciatus Curse, after going through labor pains. 

When Neville was finally born, Sirius took a peek at him, cooed obligingly for the beaming parents and feeling increasing awkward, slipped out. 

He headed straight for the Potters and announced the arrival of the newest Longbottom. 

“Neville,” Sirius pronounced. “I don’t like the name but I couldn’t exactly say that eh? I was afraid Alice would sit on me in anger.” Lily and James exchanged dewy looks. 

“How sweet,” Lily said tearily. “And you stayed there the whole time, Sirius? I’m so proud of you, you’ve really matured. ” 

Sirius frowned at her. “Don’t expect it to happen again,” Sirius warned her. “I’m staying away from you until Brat Potter is born.” 

Lily and James laughed. “I better send a card to the Longbottoms,” Lily said getting up. 

James jumped up like a circus trained dog. “I’ll do it love, you relax.” Sirius made a gagging face behind his back. “You,” James said sternly, pointing at Sirius. “Stay with her.” 

“Yes, sir,” Sirius said dryly as James went off. 

Sirius looked at Lily. “How come you haven’t had the baby yet? You look ready to pop. Like a balloon.” 

“I think I spoke too soon about your maturity,” Lily said. 

“Too right,” Sirius agreed. He was about to grill her subtly about Remus when he felt something wet near his foot. 

“Oh,” Lily exclaimed softly. 

As Lily’s water splashed over his shoes, Sirius felt a deep sense of déjà vu. “Dammit not again,” he muttered. 

It was 31st July. 

***

“Harry can crawl now,” James bragged. “They’re not supposed to do that for another month.” 

Sirius looked at his friend in amusement. The birth of his son had bought much needed joy in their lives. It helped that Harry was a charming boy, much better looking and charismatic than Neville Longbottom or any other baby in Sirius’ completely unbiased opinion. 

“Peter said he smiled at him last night,” James continued. “Spit up on him too but that’s neither here nor there.” 

“There was a bunch of toddler books on the table in the morning,” Sirius remembered. “That from him?” 

“No, Remus,” James replied. “He hauled a bunch of them over. I think he and Lily are conspiring to start him reading early.” 

“Be careful there, Prongs,” Sirius warned. 

James’ eyes flared in anger. “I’ve had it up till here with your suspicions about Remus, even Peter has start-” 

“Not that,” Sirius said impatiently. “I mean he and Lily will probably scheme to turn Harry into a law abiding _bookworm_ , is that what you want James?” 

James looked horrified. “They can’t do that, he’s my son too! What if- what if-,” James said with dread, a sick look on his face. “What if he refuses to join the Quidditch team because he wants to concentrate on his studies?” 

Sirius and James contemplated this with dismay. “We’ll be there for him,” Sirius said loyally with a hand on James’ shoulder. “We’ll make sure that he grows up to be a prankster of Extraordinary Ability and causes at least one teacher to have a breakdown.” 

“I sincerely hope that won’t be me,” a dry voice behind them intoned. 

Sirius and James turned around. “Headmaster!” 

“Mr.’s Potter and Black,” Dumbledore twinkled. “How good to meet you here.” 

“You’re the one who called us to Hogsmeade,” Sirius mumbled and grunted as James elbowed him to behave. 

“Ah yes, so I did,” Dumbledore said pleasantly. “It relates to the matter which we have been researching.” He looked at them meaningfully. “You have not been able to find any new avenues of…information?” Sirius and James regretfully shook their heads. After the Horcrux in the Gaunt shack, they had not been able to find any trail on any other Horcruxes. Belatedly, they had gone over the Riddle House again, searching every nook and cranny, but there was no trace of magic at all, apart from the Killing Curse cast thrice decades ago. 

“Maybe, that’s all there all? Er- the number I mean,” James said. 

“Three does seem like an appropriately magical number and a good supposition,” Dumbledore complimented. “But I have been following a line of investigation that may disapprove that theory. Or rather, someone has been doing it on my behalf.” 

James and Sirius shot each other surprised looks. “Who?” Sirius demanded. 

“We will see him now. A rather enterprising young man, he believes he has tracked down another of the objects we are searching for. My associate has warned me that the magic in that place is dark and powerful; on my instructions he ventured no further, only reporting back to me. We may be in need of extra wands, but only if you agree of course. ” 

James and Sirius immediately and vocally assented. 

“Excellent,” Dumbledore beamed. “The place is on the coast, I will assist in pointing you to it. Shall we?” He stretched forward an arm for James and Sirius to lightly touch before disapparating. James and Sirius followed. 

They appeared on the top of a cliff, and Sirius could hear the waves crashing below and the smell of salt in the air. 

There was a figure on the edge of the cliffs, looking down at the sea. He turned around and started walking towards them then suddenly stopped, startled. “Sirius? James?” 

“Remus!” James exclaimed in excitement. “You’re the one helping Dumbledore?” 

“Indeed,” Dumbledore said. 

“What,” Sirius choked. “What are you doing here?” 

Everyone blinked at him. “Keep up Sirius,” James chided. 

“You trust him?” Sirius asked Dumbledore. “How long has he known?” 

“What,” Remus said in a dangerous voice, eyes flashing. “Do you mean by that, Sirius?” 

“I trust all who are here,” Dumbledore said bemused. “Mr. Lupin has been lending me a hand on the Horcruxes for a long time, the ways to destroy them to begin with and later searching for this place. I have long attempted to look for it. In fact I believe he knew about the Horcruxes before you and Mr. Potter.” 

Before them? That meant he couldn’t be the spy, Voldemort would have found out by now that his secret was out. 

“I mean,” Sirius said quickly, trying to deflect. “You said we couldn’t tell anyone, even Remus and Peter!” 

“We wanted to tell you,” James told Remus earnestly. 

“And I you,” Remus replied warmly. The look he threw Sirius was still a little frigid. 

“Hang on,” Sirius interrupted. “When did you know? Was it the…diadem?” 

“No,” Remus said warily. “Dad knew a little, Dumbledore told me a while after Hogwarts.” 

“Remus’s father had already fathomed a little of what he had in his possession. With Voldemort stepping up his attacks, I felt it prudent to get help and who better to trust than those already in the know?” 

“I found it first you know,” Sirius said sulkily while James rolled his eyes. “And it was Ravenclaw’s diadem! The one that gives its user mental powers.” He said meaningfully to Remus. 

“A pity it would have sucked out my soul if I tried to use it,” Remus shot back drily. 

“I found three Horcruxes,” Sirius said angrily. 

“You stole something shiny,” Remus said. “If you feel the need to nick something, please submit it for examination first. It might be a Horcrux.” 

Dumbledore coughed. “I believe the two of you can sort out your differences _later_ , gentlemen. For now we must concentrate on finding the rest of the Horcruxes.” 

“Poor Peter still doesn’t know,” James said. 

“And I hope it will stay that way,” Dumbledore said sternly. When they made to protest, he shot them down firmly and reminded that they had all given him their words. “Now Remus, show us where the cave is.” 

He drew them towards the edge of the cliff. “The orphanage took the children to a village here for a daytrip. But at the bottom of the cliff is a cave- almost inaccessible. I nearly broke my leg climbing down and that was with magic. On the water side, there are too many rocks and the water is never calm. We can apparate down. You see those rocks?” Remus pointed down. “Choose one of them.” 

They followed his instructions and swam behind him when he stepped into the water. They went towards a fissure in the cliff face that Remus pointed out. It opened into a long, narrow tunnel that wouldn’t allow more than one to walk abreast. They swam and walked in a silent line, Remus leading the way, Dumbledore behind him, then Sirius and finally James. The sound of their harsh panting from exertion, the splashing of the water inside and the crashing of the waves outside were the only sounds. 

They finally reached a large cave and Remus led them to a particular spot. “I think this is it. But I couldn’t figure out any further.” 

“Quite alright, Remus,” Dumbledore murmured. “To come so far is quite an accomplishment.” 

He stepped forward as Remus stepped back. Sirius shifted a little until he was near Remus and touched the palm of his hand lightly. Remus turned his neck to meet his eyes. Sirius held his gaze. After a few moments, Remus smiled. Despite the cold, it made Sirius feel warm. 

Dumbledore had made an entrance appear and after some determination, ruled that blood was needed and insisted on using his own, despite protests. It worked, and it opened into another cave, bigger, much darker, with a green light in the center of the lake and wand light to their left. 

There was someone already here. Two figures, one extremely short, were in the act of getting into a small boat. There was a stunned silence as the two groups took in the presence of each other. 

“Sirius?” The taller figure sputtered. 

Sirius was filled with déjà vu as he tried to find the name he hadn’t spoken in for so long. The last time had in fact been to Remus. “Regulus?” 

***

James tore up some more grass and tried to braid it together with the flowers he had plucked. He didn’t know the name of the flowers, but was fairly sure they were daisies. 

“-AN IDIOT, DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING-” 

“-YOU’RE ONE TO TALK-” 

Lily had told him about daisy chains and how they were lucky. Of course this was in Hogwarts, where she had told him to make one as a distraction so she could run away from his attempt at asking her out for a date. 

“-MUM MUST BE GOING SPARE, IT’S NOT LIKE SHE’S INSANE ENOUGH ALREADY -” 

“-DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT FAMILY OR SANITY FOR THAT MATTER-” 

But now they were married now so the joke was on her. 

“-I’M TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING-” 

“-THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD-” 

“-FAMILY PRIDE-” 

Remus dropped down beside him. “What are you doing?” 

“Making daisy chains,” He said, without an ounce of embarrassment. 

Remus frowned. “Those aren’t daisies.” 

James looked down at his hands. “Oh,” He shrugged and continued. 

“-THOSE STUPID POSTERS-” 

“-HATE YOU HATE THEM, TOJOURS PUR GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK-” 

“-THAT STUPID MOTORBIKE-” 

“-JEALOUS-” 

“How far away is the village did you say?” James asked. 

“Dumbledore put up silencing charms.” 

“Oh good.” 

“They keep breaking through them though.” 

“Well, what do you expect? A pair of drama queens the two of them…” 

“-WALKING TO YOUR DEATH LIKE THIS AS IF IT’S GOING TO HELP ANYONE-” 

“-DON’T EXPECT YOU TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ABOUT DUTY AND FAMILY-” 

“-I HOPE KISSING VOLDEMORT’S ASS TASTED HORRIBLE-” 

“Harry’s started sitting up did you know?” James asked Remus. 

“Yeah, I was there last week…” 

“Need to get him to start flying soon,” James said. 

“Before walking?” 

“How else is he going to brag that he was flying before he started walking when he goes to Hogwarts?” 

“Ahh, yes…” 

“-MEANING OF SACRIFICE, HONOR, IT HAD TO BE DONE-” 

“-STOP TRYING TO ACT LIKE A GRYFFINDOR, I’M THE GRYFFINDOR-” 

“-YOU WEREN’T THERE, SOME HAD TO BE-” 

“I think they broke through the silencing charms again,” James said suddenly. 

“Dumbledore just renewed them, see…” 

“Oh, good…” 

“-BELLA, CISSA AND WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO TO ANDROMEDA-” 

“-NOT A PART OF IT-” 

“-DRAGGING THAT BLOODY RUNTY HOUSE ELF-” 

“-DON’T CALL HIM THAT-” 

“Nobody will be out at this time anyway,” Remus said. There was a chilly breeze blowing at the top of the cliff. 

“-FOR THE LAST TIME I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO YOUR BROOM-” 

“-YOU BROKE IT AND HID THE PIECES, KREACHER TOLD ME-” 

“-BELIEVE THAT TATTLETALE OVER ME-” 

“-A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY-” 

“-DIGRACE TO HUMANITY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING TO THE MUGGLES-” 

“-AND I’M GOING TO MAKE HIM PAY FOR IT-” 

“-IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE-” 

“-NOR IS COWARDICE-” 

“I told Lily I’d be back in two hours,” James said grumpily. 

“I’m getting knackered too,” Remus agreed. 

They got up and James brushed his hands on his trousers before they made their way towards Dumbledore. 

He was watching the Black brothers yelling at each other with stars in his eyes. Kreacher, the Black’s house elf, was standing a little way off to Dumbledore and was anxiously sliding closer and closer to Regulus. 

“Is not brotherly love one of the most precious loves in the world?” Dumbledore asked no one in particular. 

Remus and James looked at him with deep skepticism. 

“-JOINING THE DEATH EATERS WHAT A MORONIC THING TO DO, YOU WERE ALWAYS SOFT -” 

“-YOU’RE SOFT IN THE HEAD-” 

“-THEN BETRAYING THEM, EVEN STUPIDER-” 

“-YOU BASTARD-” 

“-OUR PARENTS WERE MARRIED-” 

“Ah, family…love truly is the greatest force in the world…look how they forgive and love…oh to be young again,” Dumbledore babbled rapturously, getting increasingly maudlin. Remus and James sent concerned looks at each other over his head and edged away from him in trepidation. 

“-FLYING AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LIKE YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE A REBEL OR SOMETHING-” 

“-DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK YOU’RE NOT MY MOTHER-” 

“Right,” Remus said fiercely, “Enough.” 

He stomped over to the two of them and put them in a full body bind, their wands already having been confiscated by Dumbledore. 

“Master!” Kreacher immediately shrieked. “The dirty werewolf is attacking my master!” 

“Don’t call him that!” Sirius said furiously, struggling against the body bind. 

“I’m not attacking either of them,” Remus explained patiently to Kreacher. “I’m trying to make them shut up. We’re on your side Kreacher, and Regulus’. We can help him.” 

“You can’t stop me Lupin,” Regulus glared. “This is the only way to ensure my family’s safety. I don’t know how you came to know about the Horcrux but,” His chin went up bravely and the similarities between the brothers was never as pronounced as then. “Kreacher will destroy it, my death will ensure secrecy from the Dark Lord and the Chosen One will defeat him.” 

Kreacher whimpered. “What is Master saying?” 

Regulus looked at him tenderly, “The Dark Lord is not the man we thought he was, and his only aim is power. He didn’t care whether you lived or died Kreacher. He doesn’t care if _everyone_ has to die as long as he gets what he wants. Even the things he preaches, what the Black family believes in…they’re wrong. I was wrong.” 

“Well, not too late to see the light I suppose-” Sirius said into the silence. 

“That doesn’t mean you’re right either,” Regulus said fiercely, turning on him as much as the body bind would allow. “That we need to hold hand with muggles and sing along-” 

James stepped in. Handling of Blacks was his specialty, though he generally urged mischief. Merlin, it was hard being an adult. 

“We can argue ideology later. But for now we need you and you need us,” James told a distrusting Regulus. “One, destroying a Horcrux is incredibly difficult. Kreacher might not be able to do it. The only two who know and will help are here.” He pointed at Remus and Dumbledore. 

“Second, you think that destroying this Horcrux will undo Voldemort’s immortality. You’re wrong.” 

“Potter, do you believe I'm an idiot?” 

“He made more than one,” Remus said quietly and watched the horror fill Regulas’ eyes. 

“More than one?” He choked. 

“Several more. This is the fourth we’ve tracked down.” 

“It’s true my dear boy,” Dumbledore said kindly as Regulus looked desperately from face to face to find a lie. 

“So as you can see,” James continued. “If you truly want to see the end of Voldemort, we need to finish this together. Third, what’s a chosen one?” 

Dumbledore coughed loudly and trotted up to Regulus and Sirius, undoing the body binds and handing back their wands. “Look at the time! We really must be going. Inferi you said and a monstrous potion? Tom really doesn’t have any imagination.” 

***

Remus and James waited anxiously on the banks of the black lake in the cave with Sirius on Remus’ left side and Regulus’ on James’ right, it being decided that they be as far from each other as possible. They had almost started getting along too until Sirius read the message in the fake locket. 

Having read it Sirius started shouting again and there seemed a danger that the whole pointless exercise would be repeated all over again, until Remus, having his patience and nerves ripped to shreds, threatened to put them in full body binds and stick them to the face of the cliff whilst he and James sorted out the Horcrux. They became subdued after that because he’d gotten a bit snarly even though the full moon was more than a week away. Dumbledore was of no help, after reading the note that Regulus had written, he’d gotten weepy all over again. 

Dumbledore had insisted, over everyone’s protestations, to drink the potion with Kreacher by his side. Kreacher had offered to it since he’d done it before but everyone had gently shouted him down. Dumbledore’s moans could be heard all the way from there but the water was still calm. 

“This is where they went, didn’t they?” Sirius said quietly to James with confused looks from Remus and Regulus. “The bodies from that field.” James nodded faintly. 

“There,” Regulus said suddenly. “They’re rising.” 

The four of them looked at each other in grim resolve. They raised their wands in unison and four ropes of flame shot out simultaneously, illuminating even that dark place. 

***

Regulus was getting treated for burns in the Hogwarts’ Hospital Wing. Poppy Pomfrey had been sworn to secrecy. She wrapped bandages and treated under a thick cloud of tension. Dumbledore had disappeared into his office while Remus and James were attempting to destroy the locket. That had left the Black brothers together without any supervision or buffer. 

Madame Pomfrey left them alone after a while, with stern instructions for Regulus to rest. He and Sirius looked warily at each other. They had gotten most of the yelling out of their system after they had seen each other in the cave. Explanations had started there, until the confrontation had gotten loud enough that they had been dragged outside to the top of the cliff to air out their differences. 

“You’re in love with him,” Regulus said suddenly. 

Sirius sputtered, caught off guard. “The were- Lupin,” Regulus clarified. 

Sirius considered denying it for a moment. “Does everyone know?” he moaned. “Is it written on my face?” 

“In a way,” Regulus said. “Is that why you-is he why you left?” 

“No, not entirely…I hated what they said about werewolves but that was not the only reason.” 

“You’re a hypocrite,” Regulus said fiercely. “The way you treat Kreacher, how is that different-” 

“It’s different!” Sirius said deeply uncomfortable. “I don’t-” 

“He serves us, he’s loyal and you give him shit for it,” Regulus accused. 

“He’s a part it-what I hate, the family, their beliefs and he keeps to it too,” Sirius tried. 

“It’s not his fault, or choice.” 

Sirius didn’t reply. Deep inside he knew that Regulus was right, but didn’t want to admit it. 

“Dumbledore will want to know where you’ve been,” he said finally. “After Kreacher came back, it took you a while to go back to the cave. What took you so long?” 

Regulus sighed. “I almost went to the cave first. But when I went to visit Narcissa, I heard that Lucius had received something valuable from You-Know-Who. Something he was supposed to safeguard. I wondered if the cave was only a decoy. Maybe the real Horcrux was with Lucius. He was certainly more trusted than me. He had been planning on keeping it at the Manor, but something changed his mind and he kept it at Gringotts instead. I heard him tell this to Narcissa. I don’t think he had any clue what it was. I decided to break into Gringotts to get it.” 

Sirius stared at him with his mouth wide open. “You? You were the one who broke into Gringotts?” 

Regulus grimaced. “It was useless. It wasn’t a Horcrux, just a plain book…obviously a feint. I left it there…I was injured in the process. If not for Kreacher, I would have died. He hid me while I recuperated…let the world think I was dead. After I felt healthy enough I followed my original plan-the cave.” 

“Lucius did have a Horcrux,” Sirius said abruptly. “I stole it from him. I didn’t know what it was; just that he was acting dodgy…” 

Regulus snorted. “Figures…upstaged by you once again.” 

“By me?” Sirius asked in disbelief. 

“Of course,” Regulus said bitterly. “You were always outshone me at everything- flying, better looking, magic, everyone knew who you were…” 

Sirius stared at him in incomprehension. “You were good son. How many times did I hear that you were the better son? Even before Hogwarts.” He watched as Regulus twisted the blankets around his fingers. “And as it turns out, you would have made even a better Gryffindor.” 

“What?” Regulus frowned and looked up at him. 

“What you were going to do…it was so brave Regulus…and loyal to the family even till death…” 

Regulus looked uncomfortable. “That wasn’t bravery-” 

“I don’t know what you call it in Slytherin; in Gryffindor we call it bravery. It’s not just me, James and Remus think you’re a hero, Dumbledore too probably. You figured out the Horcruxes, and went against him after you realized what he really stood for…I don’t think anyone’s left him before. That’s more than anything I've done.” 

Regulus made a noncommittal noise and looked down at the blankets again, but there was a slight blush on his cheeks and a pleased look in his eyes. 

“I thought you hated us…” Regulus said softly. 

“Not you,” Sirius said honestly. “Never you. I was mad you wouldn’t stand up to them, even when you felt they were wrong and I know you did or you wouldn’t be here otherwise.” 

“You left,” Regulus shrugged. “I was angry that you choose Potter over me and I felt like I had to be twice as good to make up for you leaving. It was the only thing that made mum and dad happy…” 

“I felt suffocated,” Sirius admitted. “I didn’t believe what they believed in. It was…I had to get out. You understand?” 

“I do now,” Regulus said softly. 

A silence fell between them, but there was understanding there now, greater than there had ever been before. 

“So,” Regulus said eventually. “You and Lupin.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sirius said broodingly. 

Regulus looked at him consideringly. 

Madame Pomfrey stepped out of her office and announced that Dumbledore had summoned them to his office. 

***

James and Remus were already in the office and so were Lily and Harry. Sirius made a beeline to his godson and started tickling his feet, making him shriek in laughter. He began to give Remus and James a brief description of what Regulus had told him. Absentmindedly he plopped down Harry in Regulus’ lap, much to Regulus’ terror. Harry immediately began to gnaw his hand. 

“He broke into Gringotts,” Sirius bragged. Remus and James looked at Regulus, awed. 

“Why is he leaking so much?” Regulus asked, futilely trying to wipe away the drool. 

“Forgive my brother,” he told Lily. “He’s the youngest in the family, he’s not much been around babies.” 

Dumbledore had attentively listened and had even taken him into the Pensieve to show him the memories. He turned to Lily. “Now, my dear, you are the only one I suspect can help us in finding the number of Horcruxes.” 

“Me?” Lily looked astonished. 

Regulus tried to pass over Harry to anyone else but in vain; they all thought it was hilarious to see him struggle with a baby. 

“Yes,” Dumbledore stood up and began to pace as he explained. “You have already seen memories of when Riddle was a student here. Well, I believe that he needed confirmation of Horcruxes, that they worked and were not a mere legend. That affirmation I regret to say was probably given to him by Professor Slughorn. Do not blame him, for Riddle hoodwinked wizards and witches far older and wiser than him. It was a gift he had…the two certainly spoke about Horcruxes once. I need Professor Slughorn’s memory of that event and it should not be difficult for you, Lily, who I certainly do not falsely flatter in saying remain his favorite student.” 

Lily looked uncertain. “Forgive me Headmaster, but why don’t _you_ ask? Or,” Lily realized. “You’ve tried already haven’t you?” 

Dumbledore chuckled. “Yes, certainly I tried. And he could not refuse me. Unfortunately, what he gave me is a tampered memory-the truth is still hidden with him.” 

“Why do you hold such importance with this memory?” Regulus demanded, which was difficult since Harry was trying to jam his hand into his mouth whenever he tried to speak. “What makes you think it’s relevant? And please Merlin, someone take this child away from me.” Heartlessly, nobody made a move. 

“That boy has no sense of self preservation,” Remus observed. “Isn’t he the age when he’s supposed to display stranger anxiety?” 

“Gryffindor from birth.” James smirked. 

“If the memory wasn’t important, Professor Slughorn wouldn’t have tampered with it. His very reluctance to part with it proves its relevance,” Dumbledore said kindly. 

“I’ll do it Professor,” Lily said determined. 

But Dumbledore didn’t look happy. “Good, good,” he said heavily. “And now, something that I have kept from you, hoping that I was wrong…there is a reason that Voldemort has focused his attacks on the two of you.” He looked sadly at James and Lily. “What do you know about the Chosen One?” 

***

The party was in full swing, everybody determined to enjoy themselves as if it was their last day, which in all honesty it could be. There were in the Hog’s Head again, a place Sirius was rapidly getting sick of. In school, it had been the cool, shady place that you went to prove that you were tough. Now, it was mundane. Time changes everything. 

The Order was bidding farewell to the Potters and Longbottoms before they went into hiding. Sirius didn’t know whether the Longbottoms knew why they were going into hiding; the rest of Order certainly didn’t know, though they might suspect. Neville and Harry were playing together in a corner. Their movements were getting slower, it was probably time for them to sleep. Sirius had already preordered a toy broomstick for Harry’s birthday present. He was sure the lad would love it. He was uncertain if he should get Neville a present too. He had been at his birth, yes, but had seen him only once or twice since and wasn’t close with the Longbottoms. He’d ask Remus what to do. 

James wasn’t happy with the upcoming confinement. He’d worry about them all the time and fret about the Horcruxes to boot. There was at least one left. Dumbledore was certain that the last one would be made with Harry or Neville’s death. It had horrified them all beyond belief, but it only strengthened Lily’s resolve. 

Sirius remembered how she had confronted Slughorn in his office, charming, persuasive and steely in turns. Lily had told Slughorn in clear, strong terms that she would die before letting Voldemort hurt Harry. How James would probably die first trying to protect them and then Voldemort would come for her and Harry anyway. 

“I promise you,” Lily had said quietly. “Voldemort will have to step over my dead body to get to Harry.” Slughorn’s eyes had filled with tears and Regulus had looked at her in awe. 

Regulus was going to join the Potters in exile though it was risky putting them all together. He and Dumbledore had agreed that he would teach Lily and James Occlumency. Later, Regulus would be moved away. Sirius didn’t know what the Longbottom’s arrangements were. It was safer that way. 

Peter and Remus were by the bar, mixing drinks. Sirius went over to join them. “Wormtail, Moony.” 

“Dumbledore wants us at the Hogwarts Platform in Kings’ Cross today,” Remus told him. 

“Why?” Sirius frowned. 

“Wants to be prepared in case there’s an attack I suppose. Coming?” 

“Yes, of course. What about you Pete?” Sirius turned to Peter. 

“Oh, umm,” Peter stuttered. ‘I can’t…I promised my mother…to er visit.”’ 

Remus and Sirius looked at each other, bemused. “Alright Peter. We’ll find someone else. You alright? Looking a bit peaky.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“You know what to do, right?” Sirius asked lowly while Remus frowned in confusion in the background. “You up for it?” 

“Yes, yes! Don’t worry.” 

“Good lad,” Sirius slapped his back relieved. Peter made his excuses and left to help Lily set up the camera. 

Sirius turned to Remus. “So, we’re directly going to London or are we shadowing the train?” 

“No, the aurors are doing that. We’re providing extra cover at the station. Ripe for mischief that place is,” Remus looked at him intently. “What?” Sirius asked, mystified. “I, er, need to talk to you about something. Not now. Later.” Remus blushed a little. 

“Sure,” Sirius replied even as he felt an old phantom thrill at the words, but it faded and he dismissed it. “I need to tell you something too,” Sirius confided. Remus nodded. 

Sirius startled as James threw an arm around him. “Come on Marauders! The camera is all set up, time for the group photo.” 

Laughing they let James drag them to where the rest of the Order stood. It took some arranging for all of them to come within the frame, forming a couple of lines and waited more or less patiently for the camera to take the photo. “Say Cheese!” Lily laughed. “Why cheese?” Sirius asked James, wishing Regulus could be here too. He was a member of the Order but most of them didn’t know it. The camera finally flashed and the photo was taken. Dorcas promised to send out copies to everyone. 

Everyone started dispersing soon after that, the Potters and Longbottoms to go to their safe houses and everyone else home or in Edgar’s case to pick up their kids from Hogwarts. Remus, Sirius and Moody followed Edgar to London, where they would discreetly hang around the Nine and Three-Quarters platform, ready to jump into action if any Death Eaters attacked. Sirius loitered furthest away from the train in an empty part of the platform. Nobody lingered. The parents took hold of their children and their luggage and hurried out. The usual long drawn out goodbyes between schoolmates was missing. In less than ten minutes the platform was empty. It had to be some kind of record. 

Moody stayed only long enough to growl out a goodbye and stomped away. Remus stayed. Sirius wondered idly if he could make Remus come home with him tonight. They hadn’t spent a night together in a long time. “Come home with me?” Sirius asked, too tired for seduction. He could feel Remus slipping away day after day, further and further away, his walls thicker and higher. Soon, the bonds of friendship that they swore wouldn’t be lessened after school would be frayed. James couldn’t only be a Friend and Brother like he had been in school, he was now a Husband and Father too. It left less space for Sirius. Another time it would have made Sirius rage and deny, now he was resigned to it. 

Peter would matter the least to him, between him and Remus and James, which Sirius was ashamed to realize, but Peter would never break his heart. 

Remus was the one he wanted to grow closer to, the opposite of their last years of Hogwarts, when they had started drawing away slightly from each other as compensation for their new found intimacy behind the tightly drawn bed curtains. 

“If you want,” Remus replied. 

“Oh, I want,” Sirius said with a leer. 

“I meant if you still want after…what I tell you…er,” Remus paced a little as he stuttered. Sirius watched bemused. “Remus what is it?” 

Remus took a deep breath. “The war and everything that’s going on, it made me realize that -” Remus started a little formally. “I'm buggering this up.” 

Sirius was getting increasing concerned and wary. “Out with it Lupin,” he commanded. 

Remus smiled a funny little smile at him. “You mean a lot to me,” he said quietly. 

“I should hope so!” Sirius said, slightly offended. “You-” 

“I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time,” Remus confessed. “I know what we have isn’t supposed to go beyond friendship and sex…but it was always love for me. I love you.” 

Sirius stared at him. “You love me?” Remus nodded, looking miserable. Sirius didn’t know why he should look so miserable when Sirius himself felt so much happiness bubbling through him. He felt euphoria like he had never felt before, like he could fly without a wand, or broom or bike. Putting this into words was too difficult, so Sirius lunged at Remus and kissed him fiercely. Their lips clashed together, it was a graceless kiss but joyful. When they finally separated, they were panting and looked at each other bright-eyed. 

“I love you too,” Sirius said. “Fuck, Moony, I-” Remus kissed him, as if he couldn’t help himself. 

“We should,” Sirius panted between kisses. “Not here, my flat.” Remus stilled and Sirius wondered for a moment if something was wrong, until he was taken on side along apparition and they reappeared on the steps of his flat. Giggling they stumbled inside and Sirius pushed Remus forcefully on the bed where he landed a bit winded. 

“Mr. Moony,” Sirius taunted, straddling him. “Keeping secrets have you?” 

“I could say the same for you,” Remus argued. Sirius bit his lip in punishment and as Remus yelped, started to undo his pants. “What,” he panted, “Did you want to tell me? The- the same?” 

“What,” Sirius said distracted. He’d slid a hand inside Remus’ pants, touching him in private places that caused his back to arc in pleasure. It was an exquisite sight. There was no room for any other thought. It was only after they were done, sticky and sweaty that Sirius remembered. “Peter will be the secret keeper,” he said drowsily. 

“What?” Remus blinked. 

“We decided to switch,” Sirius explained. “Nobody’s going to suspect him. We’ll make him the secret keeper after everything’s ready,” He turned on his side and draped an arm around Remus, biting his shoulder. Remus laughed and pulled the sheets up a little more and turned to him. “That’s a dumb idea,” he said frankly. 

“It’s brilliant,” Sirius said, offended. “He’ll go into hiding, it’ll be fine. And you and I will search for the last Horcrux in the meantime. If we can stay out of bed that is.” He was rapidly getting more alert, some parts of his body more than others. He could sleep when he died. Right now he wanted to make love to Moony. 

***

Sirius’ leg jerked up and down in anxiety, and he was relieved when he saw Moony hurrying towards him in the corridors of St. Mungo’s. 

“How’s Marlene?” Remus asked. 

“She’s going to be fine. But her family…the healers say her father might not make it…if I’d gotten there earlier…” 

“Oh Sirius…” Remus hugged him hard. 

***

 _Click._

Sirius stared at the clock above the counter in the Hog’s Head. It had no second hand and the minute hand made an irritating click on the minute. 

_Click._

“Well, we’d best be off,” Gideon said. “Molly’s been complaining we don’t visit her enough.” 

“Oh, come on,” Sirius coaxed. “Didn’t you visit her before? Stay for a couple more drinks.” 

Fabian and Gideon shot each other confused looks. “Haven’t visited her for months. Too busy with Order work.” 

Sirius frowned, but hadn’t they said last time that they were visiting Arthur and Molly? Must’ve been déjà vu… 

“Alright. Go practice your diaper changing skill…Molly just had another one, didn’t she?” 

“Say, the lad’s right. A couple of more drinks won’t hurt.” 

_Click._

***

“Any luck?” Lily asked Sirius. 

“None,” Sirius said gloomily. “Dumbledore’s pretty sure the last Horcrux is the Cup, but we don’t know where the hell it is. We even checked Wool’s Orphanage. Riddle’s twisted childhood isn’t giving any more clues. We’re buggered if he hid it in Albania or some other far off place during his travels.” 

“No, he wouldn’t.” Lily said thoughtfully. “He wants them all near him. Some closer than others.” 

“Well, maybe Regulus can help us, now that he’s leaving. Listen,” Sirius lowered his voice. “Did James and Regulus get along? I hope they didn’t row much.” 

Lily snorted. “They got along like a house on fire. Well, they argued a lot but they actually seem to like each other but they’ll never admit it. They bonded on Harry’s future career as seeker.” 

James and Regulus entered the room, and Regulus took one look at Sirius before demanding. “Why do you look so happy?” 

“What?” Sirius asked, bewildered. “No I don’t.” 

“I thought you had bad news, what with all the attacks on Order members.” 

“Yes…” 

“He’s right mate,” James agreed, pushing up his glasses. “You look happy.” 

“I’m not,” Sirius said, starting to get annoyed. 

“He’s not happy, he’s blissful, almost as if…he got laid!” 

“You’re cheating on Lupin?” Regulus asked disapprovingly. 

Sirius sputtered. “I don’t-I’m not cheating on Remus-let’s move on shall we, to the terrible attacks-” 

“It’s Remus,” James said, satisfied, to Regulus. “They’ve finally fixed everything.” 

“Oh…Did you cry Sirius, when you confessed your burning love?” 

“Don’t make fun of him, he’s very sensitive.” 

“Let me tell you about the time when he was six and had a crush on…” 

Sirius looked on in horror at Lily as she collapsed in giggles. “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” 

The shenanigans were interrupted with a knock on the door. Everybody tensed. Wands were pulled out and Lily withdrew to the back of the room, ready to run upstairs to Harry. James walked briskly to the front door and peered through. A moment later, he let out a sigh of relief as he opened the door. “It’s Peter!” 

“Hullo, everyone,” The smile on his face looked more like a spasm. 

“You know, it defeats the purpose of going into hiding if everybody drops by for a visit,” Regulus bitched. 

The usual parade of ‘hello’s’ and ‘how are you’s’ took place around the room, though it seemed that Peter was a bit cool towards Regulus. Didn’t matter much now, since Sirius had come to fetch Regulus to the new safe house that had been prepared for him. “This is great,” Sirius enthused. “Almost all the marauders back together.” 

“Except Lupin,” Regulus smirked. “And you’d want him the most right?” 

“He’s already _had_ him,” James sniggered. 

Peter looked on in confusion. “Excuse them, Peter,” Lily said. “They a little keyed up due to confinement. It’s a pity Regulus is leaving, James will lose his new playmate. Have you lost weight, Peter?” 

“Right,” Peter said. “Where is he going?” 

“Safe house,” Sirius said distracted. Remus had told him to pick up a few things and he’d promised he would remember them and there was no need to write down the list. Naturally, he’d forgotten. He didn’t dare ask Lily, they’d give him cheek over it and thought him whipped enough already. Which he was, but there was no reason to go around parading it. Unless Moony asked. 

“Yes, but where?” Peter pressed. 

“Tell us about the attacks on the Order,” James demanded while Peter looked at him in a rare display of annoyance. 

“Moony’s coming, he’ll tell you,” He would also be resigned that Sirius hadn’t run his errands. “They’re putting everybody in safe houses of a sort. Everyone is bunking up with each other and changing places regularly. Remus’ idea. It’s a pain if you want to locate or talk to anybody but Remus is in charge of keeping a track.” 

“Is that wise?” Peter asked quietly. 

“Oh shut up, Peter,” Lily snapped suddenly. They all looked at her in shock. She rarely lost her temper like that. “Remus is perfectly capable and trustworthy.” 

“I only meant putting it in the hand of one person,” Peter said feebly. “What if it was the full moon or we couldn’t track him down or something?” 

“I reckon Dumbledore knows too,” James reasoned. 

“Dumbledore knows what?” a voice asked behind them. They hadn’t heard the door open. 

“Remus!” Lily jumped up to hug him. 

“Do you know your front door is unlocked Lily?” Remus chided gently. Lily glared at James. 

“Sorry, love,” James said sheepishly. 

“We were talking about the attacks on the Order. Is it true about the McKinnons?” Lily asked anxiously. 

“Her father and sister,” Remus said. “Would have been worse if Sirius hadn’t decided to suddenly drop by.” 

“Doesn’t make much of a difference to her,” Sirius said bitterly. “She’s frothing at the mouth, wants to go after all the Death Eaters. I’m the one counseling patience, which believe me, is way weirder to me than anyone else.” 

“They were the worst casualties. Nobody else died, which is a miracle. Fabian and Gideon were almost done for, if they hadn’t stayed late at the pub they would have walked right into the trap waiting for them. Five Death Eaters would have been a tough one even for the Prewetts. There was an attack on the Bones house too, but we’d already moved them.” 

“Where are they?” Peter asked. 

“The kids are in Hogwarts.” 

“And the parents?” Peter pressed. 

“Sorry, Peter, can’t say.” 

“It’s me!” Peter said offended. 

Remus laughed. “If it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t tell Sirius either.” 

“I hope the Dark Lord is frustrated that his attempts to attack the Order are being thwarted like this,” Regulus said in relish. 

“Pretty sure the Death Eaters are having a hard time around him,” James smirked. 

“When he’s in a rage he makes sure we all suffer…” Regulus agreed. 

Everyone chuckled, willing to enjoy this morbid bit of fun. Peter was trying to laugh too, but his face was white and his laugh was just huffs of breath. He raised his right hand to rub his left forearm. Sirius was struck with an intense case of déjà vu. The conversation swirled around him as he stared at the sight. No, this wasn’t déjà vu at all. He _had_ seen this before, but with _Regulus_. As if in dream, he saw his own right hand raise and catch hold of Peter’s left wrist and tear away the sleeve on his forearm. He did it with such force that the cloth ripped. Peter struggled, trying to pull away and to twist his wrist out of Sirius’ grip but Sirius only held him tighter, his fingers pressing deeper into the fleshy arm, raising bruises. 

The others were too slow to realize what was happening to intervene in their scuffle. When Peter’s inner forearm was laid bare there was absolute silence, punctuated only by Peter’s whimpers and ragged breath. Sirius let go of his arm only to catch him by the throat with both hands and slam him against the wall. Lily screamed. “You bastard,” Sirius said in a rage. “You have the Dark Mark. _Death Eater_.” 

“He’d have killed me, Sirius please…” Peter choked out. 

Regulus leaned in across Peter and coolly divested him of his wand. “It was you. You’ve been feeding the Dark Lord information about the Order members. He never told me your name…but I should have figured it out.” 

“He’s been giving away Lily and James’ locations from the beginning, no wonder they kept finding them…” Remus said quietly, grief on his face. “Peter…” 

“I didn’t have a choice, He didn’t give me a choice…Remus my friend please…” 

“Sirius, let go of him, you’re choking him,” Lily said quietly. 

Sirius looked at her in disbelief. “Lily, this piece of filth is the reason why Marlene’s father and sister are dead! He put you in danger again and again!” 

“Sirius, do what I tell you.” 

Sirius gritted his teeth, but obeyed. Peter gasped and rubbed his throat, sliding down the wall a little, his legs not quite able to support him. “Thank you Lily, thank you…” 

“Don’t thank me,” she said sharply. “Did you tell him, Peter? Is the Fidelius still active?” 

“It works Lily, the charm is not broken…” Peter whimpered. 

“That’s not what she asked, bastard,” Sirius snarled. “ _Did you tell him?_ ” 

“James, help me,” Peter begged. “Please…” 

James hadn’t said anything and the reason was because he had been too overwhelmed. Tears swam in his eyes. “Peter, we were _friends_ ,” he choked out. “He’s after _Harry_ , my _son_. You-” James sobbed. He turned away, hand on his eyes, lost in the memories of their school years. 

The sight of James crying broke Sirius’ heart. He gripped James’ shaking shoulders, trying to give some sort of comfort. Lily, Remus and Regulus were still trying to interrogate Peter. “Let’s assume you’ve already told him the Secret,” Remus said coolly. “The question is when? Did you tell him now before you came? Is he going to follow you?” 

Peter looked wildly from face to face. “You have no idea, what he can do…to stand against him is to die…” 

“You should have died then,” Regulus said coldly. “As I was prepared to do. Better than betray your friends.” 

“Peter, I'm going to ask you one last time before I let Sirius at you again,” Lily said, out of frustration and fear. “When did you tell him, is he coming for Harry? ” 

“I-I- told him a-a-after th-the spell was c-ca-cast…” 

Sirius lunged for him again and Peter screamed. Remus and Lily had to haul him off and Regulus set a wand at Peter’s throat, the only one clear headed amongst them. 

“He hasn’t come yet…he’s known since the Fidelius was cast so why not?” Remus frowned. “The prophecy, has he chosen Neville Longbottom instead?” 

“He’s waited for tonight,” Lily said, preternaturally calm. “Don’t you remember? It’s Halloween today. He wants to make a production of it. He’ll come at midnight.” 

They all glanced at the clock. “It’s only a few hours left, we need to leave, run. We can’t fight him, not without the last-” Remus looked significantly at Peter. Sirius was terribly glad they had kept their promise to Dumbledore and not confided in Peter. 

“We can’t. It’s too late,” Lily didn’t look resigned, despite her words. “We need to call Dumbledore. I have an idea.” 

“So do I,” Remus said thoughtfully. 

***

The night was cold and silent. Occasionally distant sounds of children could be heard, scampering in the streets, celebrating Halloween by knocking on doors and begging for sweets but most of them were in bed safe and sound. A tall man in dark robes could be seen approaching a certain street in Godric’s Hollow. He turned towards a house, and stopped before it. The lights were on, but the occupants of that house were standing outside waiting for him, four men and one woman. Seeing them, he laughed, a cold, high, cruel laugh. 

“Do you think you can stand against me? It’s useless,” Lord Voldemort said. 

“We’ll see about that,” James said neutrally. 

“Regulus,” Voldemort coaxed. “Won’t you come back? All will be forgiven, I promise. Come, come back to your family.” 

Regulus looked from Voldemort to Sirius to back again. “I am with family,” he said coolly. 

“Lily, James, I asked you join me once…I give you that offer once again. You can have other children.” Lily looked at him in revulsion. 

“Give me the child, and I will spare you…” Voldemort offered them. 

Sirius scoffed. “The odds don’t look good for you.” 

Voldemort smiled. “Did you think I would not anticipate this?” he asked softly. “I knew Pettigrew was outgrowing his usefulness. The odds are as it turns out, are against you.” The street behind him went from empty to filled with more than a dozen Death Eaters, tall witches and wizards in black robes and faceless masks, ready to do their master’s biding. “I did not come alone.” 

“Neither,” Remus replied, “did we.” 

The Order of the Phoenix melted out of the shadows. Alice and Frank Longbottom, Benjy Fenwick. Marlene McKinnon, with a fierce look on her face. Edgar Bones, resolute. Fabian and Gideon Prewett, with Caradoc Dearborn. Alastor Moody, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance, and a score of others. And Albus Dumbledore. 

“This is your end, Tom,” Dumbledore said quietly. “Turn back if you can, save yourself.” 

Voldemort’s red eyes gleamed with hate and he raised his wand. “This is not my end.” He fired the first spell. 

The Battle of Godric’s Hollow, as it came to known later, was the last and decisive battle of the First Wizarding War. The actual events, impressive as they were, grew wilder in every retelling. There were near fifty participants altogether, and yet some things were never made clear. Everyone’s recollection of it was different. Everyone remembered the vicious duel between Bellatrix Black and her cousin Sirius Black, but none claimed responsibility for Mulciber’s death. A few were witness to Emmeline Vance unmasking Barty Crouch, Jr. and dying for it. Alice and Frank Longbottom, standing back to back, were unmatched. Avery using the Killing curse on Edgar Bones. Benjy Fenwick survived the battle only to succumb to his wounds in St. Mungo’s. Gideon Prewett lost a hand and an ear in his brother’s defense, reasoning it a good trade. 

But nobody was quite sure what happened after Voldemort broke through the Order’s defenses by striking down Dorcas Meadows and stepped into Harry Potter’s nursery. The boy was not harmed, for Dumbledore had pursued the Dark Lord. There they fought another ferocious duel, the only witness was Harry. By the time a desperate Lily Potter had burst into the room, the Dark Lord had been vanquished and Dumbledore was near death. 

The Death Eaters felt their master’s defeat. A few dropped their wands and surrendered. Those with cooler and quicker minds disapparated. Some, stunned at their master’s sudden defeat were distracted and were easily defeated themselves. On the other extreme, some became enraged and desperately and feverishly battled on, only to be overcome by superior numbers and disarmed. 

By the time the sun broke the horizon, the Battle of Godric’s Hollow was over. 

***

The sound of the waves was like music to Sirius’ ears. It was mingled with the sounds of his friends talking and laughing. It was not exactly a good day to be on the beach, since it was the depth of winter and consequently very cold. On the bright side there was no one else on the beach. 

“Got what you wanted?” an amused voice asked. 

“We’ll come back when there’s more sun.” Sirius told Remus as he sat down next to him. “For now, this will do.” 

The months since the Battle of Godric’s Hollow, as it came to be known, had been stressful. The escaped Death Eaters were a terror to track down and the captured ones were lying through their teeth to get clemencies. They still hadn’t been able to figure out what had happened with Voldemort and Dumbledore and they couldn’t ask either of them. They still had the last Horcrux to track down and no clues as to its whereabouts. 

“We’ll find it,” Remus said softly, reading Sirius’ mind. 

“Voldemort’s not gone,” Sirius replied. “Till we find it, Harry’s in danger. Any changes in Dumbledore’s condition?” 

Remus shook his head. “They’re shifting him from Hogwarts to St. Mungo’s. I doubt it’ll help. No one’s found a reason for his magical coma. They’re putting him the closed ward.” 

Sirius stared at the sea. “He’ll come back. He’ll outlive us all, you’ll see.” 

Remus smiled. “I love you.” 

Sirius sighed and shifted so his head was in Remus’ lap. “I love it when you say that. Tell me again.” 

“I love you.” 

“Again.” 

“I. Love. You.” 

“Again.” 

“We have the rest of our lives, alright?” Remus said exasperated and fond. 

Sirius pouted. “At least kiss me,” he demanded. 

Remus obediently bent over and touched his lips to Sirius’s lips, giving a brief peck and withdrawing before Sirius caught him by the back of the neck and deepened it. 

“Oi, you poofters, stop shagging and look sharp,” James yelled from down the beach. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Sirius said dangerously, breaking their kiss. 

“Harry will be left fatherless,” Remus reminded him. 

Sirius considered this for a moment. “Lily’s man enough.” 

“Reg has tickets to the Holyhead Harpies match,” James shouted. “I’ll leave you all here if I have to.” 

“My brother is stealing my best friend. And my best friend is stealing my brother,” Sirius lamented, pouting. 

Remus laughed. “At least you have me.” He teased affectionately. 

Sirius looked at him. “And you have me.” 

***

Orion Black coolly surveyed the person of his son and heir, Sirius Black. Fourteen years old, and as rebellious as his uncle Alphard Black and cousin Andromeda. Sirius looked around, eyes bright with interest. Father and son, were almost getting along, though it could be the absence of Walburga Black, whose relationship with her eldest son was the most fractious. 

“And this,” Augustus Rookwood said with a flourish, “Is what we call the Death Chamber.” 

“Imaginative lot, aren’t you?” Sirius sneered. 

Orion clenched his jaw, but Rookwood merely laughed. “That’s why we need youngsters like you! Your father tells me you’re the top student in your year. A career in the Department of Mysteries is just the kind of excitement that you’ll take well to. Keep that in mind when you choose your electives after your OWLs!” 

Sirius merely hummed disinterestedly, his eyes fixed on the arch in the middle of the room. Rookwood kept a steady stream of chatter with Orion occasionally injecting a word or sentence. Sirius hadn’t looked away from the arch yet which Rookwood laughingly commented on. They weren’t, naturally, supposed to be in the Department of Mysteries, but the old guard could always be counted upon to bestow favors on each other. A private tour of the Department of Mysteries was one such favor. 

“A pity your younger son couldn’t be here.” 

“Yes, an unfortunate time for him to be sick with the flu. Do you study creatures here?” Orion asked Rookwood. 

“No, no…not yet. Not quite allowed. But that is a very good idea. I would love to study werewolves, examine what exactly makes them react to the full moon…and of course, we have the five ways to differentiate werewolves from true wolves during the transformation, but what about internal?” 

“Pardon?” Orion asked. 

“If you cut them open during the transformation for instance, how much will the internal organs resemble true wolves and-” 

“ _You’re sick_ ,” Sirius exclaimed in disgust. “They’re _people_ , how can you-” 

“Forgive my son,” Orion said coolly to a surprised Rookwood. “He has picked up some…liberal views in Gryffindor, that house of mudbloods and half-bloods.” 

“No worry, no worry,” Rookwood laughed it off. “When we are young we often try out diverse viewpoints…it’s only natural. And I was only speaking academically lad.” 

Sirius eyes were wide and he was breathing heavily. Truth be told, Orion himself had felt a bit sick at Rookwood’s suggestions but Sirius had to be punished nonetheless. 

“Werewolves are no different from the rest of us,” Sirius continued doggedly. 

Orion clasped the back of Sirius’ neck firmly and pushed him forward, making him walk down the steps in the Death Chamber. “Did you know, Sirius that the Veil is the reason that the Ministry was built here? The Ministry was built over it. To study it and hide it from the muggles.” Sirius was struggling now, trying to break away from his father’s grip as they moved closer and closer to the arch. “Rumors say it was a temple originally and many muggles threw themselves through it in a display of despair and bravery. They felt they could communicate with the dead and tried to speak through it. All were consumed. You’re in Gryffindor, boy, how brave are you?” Saying so, he thrust Sirius slightly forward, so that his cheek almost touched the veil. 

“Father, don’t -” Sirius choked out in a panic but Orion kept him in that position for a few moments. He could hear Rookwood shouting in alarm behind them. It was only when Orion felt a slight physical pull towards the veil that he dragged Sirius back in apprehension. Sirius was trembling in fear and Orion felt a mix of regret and satisfaction. 

Rookwood reached them and after looking at both father and son decided to pretend that nothing had happened. “Let’s move on, shall we?” he said, wheezing slightly. 

Orion nodded coldly. As they turned to leave, he caught sight of his son’s face which was blank and his eyes were… He blinked and his son was back to normal. His face was sullen and the lines of his body still indicated traces of fear. 

A trick of the light, Orion told himself as they left, that’s all it was.


End file.
